


Apocalyptic

by love_ly_ish



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Danny and Sam are dating, Everything in Phantom Planet is explained logically I promise, F/F, F/M, M/M, Post Phantom Planet, Reveal AU, Reveal Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 63,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_ly_ish/pseuds/love_ly_ish
Summary: After international hero Danny Phantom saves the world and reveals his true identity as Danny Fenton, he is left to face reality as a 15 year old celebrity. Meanwhile, loose ends from the past snake their way back into his life, threatening to overturn the world. Does Team Phantom have what it takes to prevent another apocalypse now that Danny's secret has been revealed? Post Phantom Planet
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Sam Manson, Dash Baxter & Kwan, Paulina Sanchez/Star
Comments: 38
Kudos: 49
Collections: Danny Phantom





	1. New School

**New School**

* * *

Danny felt his heart beating in his chest. He _felt_ it. That's how he knew he was really nervous.

See, Danny's heartbeat had been off for the last nine months, ever since his...accident. Calling it an accident felt strange, like there should be a more accurate word for it. But there wasn't. At the end of the day, what had happened to Danny was an accident. He hadn't _meant_ to trip on the wires in his parents' ghost portal. He hadn't _meant_ to press the 'on' button. But he had, and that accident had cost him half of his life.

Danny was alive...somewhat. The ghosts called him a halfa — half ghost, half human. He was an anomaly; he wasn't supposed to exist. That didn't stop him, though. He continued to exist for nine months as a paradox of sorts; alive but not, dead but not. The complexity of his existence had slowly leaked into all parts of his life, including his heartbeat, he'd found out. It beat slower than a normal human's, and so soft that Danny usually had to focus to hear it. But not right now. Right now his heart was beating as hard and fast as it had before the accident.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Danny's girlfriend, Sam, squeezed his hand gently. He looked over at her, blinking the swirling thoughts from his vision.

Danny shrugged half-heartedly, a small sigh escaping his pursed lips. "I guess."

"You guess?" Sam smiled at him, causing his heart to skip a few beats. "I thought you'd be excited!"

"Excited. Yep. I'm so excited," Danny's voice wavered against his will. He cleared his throat, straightening up and squeezing Sam's hand back. "I'll be fine."

"You're not that convincing, you know."

"I know."

Danny looked at the double doors of Casper High, willing his heartbeat to steady itself. Slowly but surely, his body responded, dropping back to its normal barely-there heartbeat. Today was his first day back in High School since he saved the world. Well, since Danny _Phantom_ saved the world. Danny _Fenton_ was just a regular kid — or at least, he had been. Now, he was the world famous halfa. He had statues around the world. _Statues_. He was working himself up again.

Taking a deep breath, Danny took a few steps forward, Sam following his lead and pushing the door open. Together, they walked into Casper High.

Immediately, Danny noticed the busy rustle of the High School hallway. He could smell the abundance of Axe body spray covering the hormone induced B.O. For half a second, everything seemed like it might be normal. Then, Paulina — who had been standing by her locker and chatting idly with her best friend, Star — saw Danny, and her eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Danny! Danny Phantom!" her shrill voice flooded the hallway, and everyone stopped. Quicker than Danny thought possible, all eyes were on him and Sam. His blood ran colder than usual.

"Uh, um," Danny began to stammer, his tongue feeling like putty in his mouth.

"Hey, move along. There's nothing to see here. It's just Danny," Sam said loudly, her voice booming through the hall. Danny sent her a grateful glance. He was lucky to have her in his life. Unfortunately, though, he wasn't lucky enough for Sam's proclamation to be the end of the sudden wave of attention.

"Hey Fenton- I mean Phantom- I mean...uh..." Dash took a few steps forward from his place next to Kwan. Danny instinctively tensed up, but quickly forced himself to relax. If Dash messed with him — he'd be stupid to do so now, but the jock was known to do dumber things — Danny would be able to evade it. After all, he didn't have his secret to keep anymore. It would be easy enough to go intangible if anyone tried to grab him.

"Dash," Danny forced his voice to sound stable. He watched as Dash awkwardly shuffled his feet, locking his fingers together and pulling them apart.

"I'm, um...I didn't really get a chance to tell you. I'm sorry, for everything. And thank you."

Dash spoke with such sincerity that Danny had to keep himself from gaping. He'd never heard the elder High Schooler show any such courtesy to even his closest friends. This apology caught Danny completely off guard.

"You're...you're welcome, Dash," Danny tried to savor the words as he spoke them, but they tasted like vanilla extract — he expected the sentiment to be sweet, but the bitterness stung down his throat.

"Oh, Danny! He's so forgiving!" Paulina squealed, and half the students in the hallway brought their hands up to their ears — Danny included. Sam scowled at the popular girl, crossing her now empty hands across her chest.

"Look, lets just move on with the day, ok?" Sam's voice immediately put Danny at ease, and he dropped his hands back down to his sides. "Nothing's changed. Not really. It's the same old Danny, alright?"

"The same old Danny?! How can you say that!" Paulina made her way towards Danny, and he had to fight his instinct to back up. "She doesn't deserve you, Phantom. Come on, let _me_ walk you to class."

Danny bit his tongue — he didn't necessarily want to hurt Paulina (though in that moment he had a few choice words on the tip of his tongue). He turned to Sam and slung an arm around her shoulder. Immediately, she beamed up at him, cuddling in not-so-subtly. Paulina, who must have gotten the message, huffed and turned around, stomping over to Star once again. The chatter in the hallway slowly picked up, but over it Danny could still hear the Latina's whiny voice.

"Can you believe him? How could he not want me?!"

"I- I don't know, 'Lina," Star signed, and Danny could've sworn she sounded the slightest bit disappointed. He pushed that thought aside and turned back to his girlfriend, smiling and walking to their homeroom together.

* * *

"How was the first day back, man?" Tucker asked expectantly, hastily unbuttoning his crisp white shirt. The navy tie he'd been wearing was already on the floor of his messy bedroom.

"Weird," Danny breathed the word out slowly. "Really weird. People wouldn't stop staring."

"Well, duh. You saved the world! Of course that's gonna make things weird!"

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to think about that, y'know?"

"Yeah," Tucker sighed, now taking off the dress shirt to reveal a plain white tank top. He threw the dress shirt on the floor next to the tie and picked up a yellow sweater from the floor, pulling it over his head. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I wish things could go back to normal."

Danny smiled sadly at his best friend. Tucker didn't understand exactly what Danny was going through, but he did get the yearning for normalcy. Everyone's lives had been turned upside down after earth's near-destruction, but Tucker and Danny were the only ones who had to adjust to a completely new way of life.

"You mean running around and fighting ghosts non-stop?" Danny asked with nostalgia in his voice, smiling when a devious smirk fell onto Tucker's face.

"We thought we were so sneaky."

"We were vigilantes, running from the law, protecting people off the record."

"And now," Tucker sighed heavily, "now that I'm Amity's youngest mayor—"

"Amity's youngest _junior_ _assistant_ mayor," Danny corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's basically the same thing for now while they're searching for a replacement. They need someone who knows how to deal with ghosts. All the public servants know is politics," Tucker fiddled with the cuffs of his mustard sweater, twisting the fabric between his fingers.

"Yeah, but you're just fifteen," Danny said almost silently before catching himself and speaking up. "Technically you're just a kid. How can they put that much responsibility on you?"

"I mean," Tucker sighed, dropping his hands to his sides, "usually the position goes to a college kid, but when Jazz turned them down they looked at my grades and...well, they made up their minds on who they wanted."

Danny laid a hand on Tucker's shoulder, sending him a small smile. "You're doing great. Ghost attacks have been down since you took the position—"

"And that's just because of you," Tucker shook Danny's hand off his shoulder. "Dude, thanks for the sentiment and all, but you can't save me, ok? Not from this," he grumbled, looking down at his lap.

Danny sat there for a moment, looking at Tucker and letting out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Yeah ok. Sorry."

The two best friends sat in an awkward silence for a minute or two. Tucker finally cleared his throat, drawing Danny's attention back up to him. "I talked to Marsha about you, you know. About the private lessons she's giving me. She said she can take you on too. We could be classmates again, and you wouldn't have to go back to Casper."

Danny's spine straightened at the mention of private lessons. For some reason, that made him feel...uncomfortable, maybe? Tense? It made him feel _something_ , deep in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to take those private lessons. Not at all.

"Woah, dude, you don't have to," Tucker put his hands up in surrender, noticing Danny's obvious change in posture.

"I just..." Danny looked down, trying to think. There was something about isolating himself that made him nervous. "I don't think it's a good idea, Tuck."

"Ok. That's fine," Tucker sighed, avoiding Danny's gaze. "I think you should leave. Mom's gonna have dinner ready soon."

* * *

The rest of the week was hardly eventful. People still stared at Danny and Sam whenever they walked past, but slowly Danny got used to it. Sam was still upset about the sudden attention.

"They didn't give two shits before!" she'd yelled at him once when they were hanging out at Nasty Burger. Luckily, the rest of the restaurant was empty. The only other person in the dining space was the worker at the register, who was staring at the two with a look of awe written all over his face.

"Yeah, before they only gave one shit!" Danny teased his girlfriend, who rolled her eyes and elbowed him lightly in response.

"You know what I mean. Dash is being nice, Paulina won't stop flirting with you. Hell, even Lancer looks like he's scared of you! What's that all about?"

"I know. It's weird," Danny took a large sip of his chocolate milkshake, closing his eyes for a moment as his migraine, which came and went the last few days, subsided.

"You feeling ok? I know you had a headache earlier today—"

"Yeah," Danny cut her off, not wanting her to keep worrying. "It's totally fine. I promise."

The problem was that it _wasn't_ totally fine. Danny had had a pounding headache since he'd returned to school, and it had hastily grown into a head splitting migraine by the end of the week. Sam didn't need to know that, though. They were already dealing with so much. It was like they'd both been dropped into a new school. They had been all but invisible before, and now it was the complete opposite. Danny didn't know if the stress was causing the migraine, or if it was something else. He hoped it was something else. Besides, if it grew into anything more, he'd tell Sam or Jazz. Maybe his parents, if he really needed to. He'd play it by ear, he decided.

Friday morning came with almost impossible haste, the rest of the week flying by too fast for Danny's taste. He woke up with a headache so bad he thought his skull might just split in half, but swallowed the discomfort and moved on with his day. Throwing on his usual shirt and jeans, he made his way downstairs, finding Jazz already eating a bagel at the table.

"Hey, what's up?" Jazz asked, immediately picking up on his dampened mood.

"Oh, just a little headache," Danny lied, grabbing an apple from the table and taking a bite. The crunching sound made his head throb.

"Really? You've had one since Tuesday, right?"

"It's not a big deal. I'm probably just stressed or something," Danny mumbled softly, grabbing a knife from the knife block on the counter and cutting the apple to spare his poor head.

"Well, if it keeps up, we should probably get you to a doctor or something. Or let mom and dad know. They'd know what to do," Jazz explained, finishing her bagel and throwing away the paper towel she'd been eating it off of.

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm sure they'd know what to do."

"Danny," Jazz laid her hand on Danny's arm, "they know what they're doing, even if it doesn't seem like it all the time."

Danny turned away, grabbing the apple slices and sticking them in a plastic bag. "I'm gonna fly to school. I'll see you later."

Danny transformed with his backpack on, turning intangible before he flew through the ceiling. As he flew higher into the sky, he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Sam.

"Hey you, you coming to pick me up?" her voice immediately eased Danny's headache just a bit.

"You know it. Just wanted to make sure you're ready," Danny answered.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just finishing my makeup, but that'll take...there! Done!"

"Wait, you're doing your makeup and talking on the phone?" Danny chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up. I'll see ya soon."

Sam hung up, and Danny swerved towards her house. When he was hardly a minute away, a sinking feeling fell into his gut. He hadn't felt this in a while — not since he'd helped to save the world.

His ghost sense went off, and he got a feeling this would be a big one.


	2. Red, Green, and Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes some Valerie!

**Red, Green, and Gray**

* * *

Danny instinctively swerved to avoid an ecto-blast, paying close attention to the hairs that stood up on the back of his neck. After his powers had been renewed, he'd found that his sense of intuition had been heightened, and he elected to pay close attention to it.

The halfa twisted midair, turning towards the scaly ghost. It was large — about twenty feet long with a tail that accounted for half of its length. The strong hindquarters pushed itself through the air, as if it was swimming. Its green and grey reptilian hide glittered in the morning sun, and Danny had to stop himself from staring at the mesmerizing swirling patterns. Shaking his head, he focused on the ghosts eyes, though that turned out to be a mistake.

The moment he looked into its eyes, Danny's mind went fuzzy, the world slowly fading to a green and grey swirl before him. His limbs felt numb, and for a sickening moment, he thought that that might be alright. If everything went numb, just for a little while. After all, Danny had been so stressed. For the first time since the asteroid, the pressure on his head subsided, leaving him with a calm, cool feeling to match his icy core.

The world came back into focus with a sickening _thud_ as Danny was sprawled on his back. He let out a deep groan, his eyes fluttering as he tried to focus on something — anything. After a few gut wrenching moments, he was finally able to see the cloudy sky above him, though with his headache returning, it seemed to spin back and forth like a broken gyroscope.

"Phantom! Ah, uh, Fenton? Ugh, Danny! Get up!" a shrill voice called from above and behind him. Danny flipped over to his stomach, unable to find his footing, and looked up towards the voice. Zipping through the air was none other than Valerie Gray, wrapped in her ghost fighting suit. She was fighting off the reptilian ghost with difficulty.

Danny steadied his shaking breath, turning his attention once more to the ghost she was fighting. He concentrated on staying focused, and was able to catch a better glimpse at the creature before he had to turn away again. While the ghost's body looked like that of a massive lizard, its head seemed to be misplaced. The human face was gorgeous, the light green and turquoise features pointing upward like some sort of elven super model. Thick black hair fell on either sides, somehow maintaining a beautiful green-grey sheen despite the whipping wind and turmoil of the fight. Despite the fact that the ghost must have been furious to be enthralled in a battle, it wore an expression so gentle and heartbroken that Danny had to keep himself from running over and comforting it. The strangest part was its eyes.

The ghost's eyes glittered a million colors, like a kaleidoscope made of gemstones. He didn't dare focus any more, as he was afraid he'd go numb again. Instead, he turned back to Valerie, who was hardly managing to avoid the beast's attacks. It must have been firing ecto-blasts with its tail, as the aim didn't seem to coincide with what direction it was facing.

"Danny, come on! I need your help!" Valerie called out upon the realization Danny was looking at her. With a shaky breath, he rose to his feet and hardly managed not to tip over. He willed himself back into the air, ignoring the pounding waves crashing against his skull. Flying quickly and following his newfound intuition, Danny grabbed Valerie by the waist, turning away from the ghost and erecting a shield in front of them right as it fired another blast. He flew Valerie farther away, listening as the ghost let loose a moaning wail.

"Danny! What's your problem? Why were you flying towards that thing?!" Valerie demanded, squirming away from Danny's firm grip. She looked at him with stern judgment in her eyes, and with a start, he realized that he hadn't talked to the other ghost hunter since the asteroid incident.

"It...I don't know. That thing...did you look in its eyes?" Danny asked nervously, looking around them to make sure the ghost wouldn't sneak up on them.

"Its eyes? They're green, maybe a little red. A typical _ghost_ ," Valerie spat the word 'ghost' venomously, causing Danny to flinch back. Her gaze softened slightly as she noticed his reaction. "Oh, um, I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," Danny lied. "I think that thing has some sort of power over ghosts. When I looked into its eyes, it's like I was under its spell. I can't get too close."

"Oh."

"So I can fire shots from a distance, try to get it to keep turning around. You can take it closer. We'll weaken it enough to get it in the thermos. You should probably capture it, though. Just so I don't...you know," Danny explained, embarrassment tinting his cheeks at the end.

Valerie nodded as Danny handed her the thermos, which she clipped onto her belt. "Got it."

The two ghost hunters flew into action, finding the massive ghost immediately. Danny went invisible and, avoiding looking at the ghost, flew behind it. Meanwhile, Valerie kept it distracted and facing one direction, calling out taunts and dodging its attacks nimbly. Danny stayed invisible, firing a few shots in its direction. He didn't know if he managed to hit the ghost or not, but he did manage to get its attention either way. It turned back towards Danny, finding nothing to look at as he stayed invisible. It roared and turned back towards Valerie, who had launched a few red blasts at it. She dodged another volley of attacks, moving quicker than before after having a moment to catch her breath.

Danny turned visible for a moment, sending a non-verbal 'wrap it up' signal to Valerie. She nodded, and Danny slipped into invisibility once more, sending one more wave of attacks and watching the ghost turn its back on Valerie. She readied the Fenton thermos, preparing to fire, when Danny was forced back into visibility, doubling over in pain and bobbing up and down in the air.

A hissing, snake-like voice seeped into every crevice of his mind, causing the headache he was already nursing to intensify. All he could see was neon blue as it spoke into his mind. " _Great One, he is back. I was trying to protect you. Spare me. Prepare yourself_."

With that, Valerie sucked the creature into the thermos, and Danny's vision cleared. While he could see again, that didn't stop him from falling out of the air like a bag of rocks, landing heavily on the pavement below and creating a concrete crater. Valerie flew down to him just as his transformation dropped, leaving Danny Fenton lying in a puddle of rubble.

"Danny!" Valerie's voice made Danny cringe, groaning in pain as every inch of his body throbbed along with his head. "What's wrong? Danny?"

"I—" Danny started to speak, but the sound of his own voice echoed inside his head so painfully it stopped him from saying another word. Valerie grabbed his shoulder and shook him, which caused another blinding flash of pain. By the time his vision came back to him, it was like a minute or two had escaped his perception. He was slumped against Valerie's legs, his own legs draping off of her hover-board. She held him close to her by the collar of his shirt, and it chaffed slightly against his neck. They took a turn, the pain exceeding Danny's limits once more, and the world faded to black.

* * *

Danny woke up with a headache, which didn't surprise him at all. He'd been waking up with a headache all week. What _did_ surprise him was the throbbing pain radiating from his head down his body. It didn't help that he was on a freezing cold lab table, wires attached to his head, arms, and back.

"Ah!" Danny sat straight up, wincing as the pain intensified. He looked around the lab, assessing danger hastily before his eyes landed on Valerie and Jazz, who must have been chatting a few yards away from him. Now, they both stared at him with wide eyes, clearly surprised by his abrupt awakening.

"Danny," Jazz breathed her brother's name, rushing over to him and grabbing his hands. She pulled back, cursing under her breath. "Ow…"

"Wh- what?" Danny stammered, mentally adjusting to the pain that accompanied his words.

"You shocked me," Jazz mumbled, rubbing her hands together before her focus dropped back down to him. "What happened? That thing…it hurt you?"

Danny's mind wandered momentarily to the ghost's warning. ' _Great One, he is back. I was trying to protect you. Spare me. Prepare yourself_.' He shuddered, not sure what it had meant. Whatever the message was, though, he was sure it wasn't a good one. "No. It- it didn't hurt me."

"What do you mean it didn't hurt you?!" Valerie exclaimed from across the lab, causing Danny to wince again. If she noticed, she didn't let on. She strode quickly over to the lab table, pounding her fist down between his feet. The shudder of the table rattled him all the way up to his already-aching brain.

"I don't think it was trying to hurt me. Didn't you hear what it said?" Danny asked. Valerie responded with a furrowed brow and a quick shake of the head. "It said it wanted to protect me, and…"

"…And?" Jazz picked up, and Danny realized he'd trailed off without finishing. He looked between his sister and Valerie before shaking his head hurriedly.

"And nothing. That was it," he lied. He didn't know what the rest of the ghost's message meant, and until he found out, he didn't want to worry Jazz. His sister looked down at him and gave him a look that told him she could see right through his lie. He lowered his head, turning away and avoiding her analytical gaze.

"Well, I don't know what ghosts consider protecting, but—" Valerie started, only to be interrupted by heavy footsteps clunking down the stairs to the lab. Sam ran right up to Danny the moment she saw him, her hands flying to his face before she flinched back.

"Sam? What's the matter?" Danny asked, rubbing his face self-consciously. He hadn't started to grow facial hair, had he? No, he realized quickly. He was still (to his dismay) completely hairless.

"I…it must be staticky in here," Sam said softly before grabbing his hands this time, squeezing them tightly. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"There was this ghost. A really strange one. I've never seen anything like it before," Danny began explaining, momentarily forgetting anyone else was in the room. "It was like a giant lizard, except for the head. It had a human face, and hair, longer than Jazz's. And its eyes…"

"A siren," Sam breathed the words, rubbing small circles across Danny's knuckles. "She put you in a trance?" Danny looked down and nodded in response.

"More than that, though. She didn't hurt me. She told me…" Danny almost shared the entire message before looking back up at Jazz and Valerie. Neither of them needed to know the entire truth. He swallowed his words, biting his lip nervously. "She said she was trying to protect me."

Sam grabbed Danny under his chin, lifting his gaze back up to her's. "Are you ok now?"

Danny almost nodded, but he hesitated. The pounding in his head had eased up as soon as Sam had come into the lab, but it was still almost deafening. How could he call that 'ok'? "I don't know."

"What's going on?"

"My head. I think there might be something wrong."

* * *

As soon as Danny mentioned that there might be something wrong with his head, Jazz called in to school for herself, Danny, Sam, and Valerie (who, for some reason, insisted on staying, despite the fact that they'd hardly talked the last month or two). The school wasn't happy about it, but as soon as Jazz played the 'savior of the world' card, they finally relented and excused the teens. Next, the elder Fentons were called. They'd left before sunrise to test some of their new equipment a few miles over in a field they rented out from time to time. Now that they knew how much damage their experiments could cause Danny, they decided that they'd test them somewhere they couldn't hurt him.

"Oh my baby boy, what's the matter," Maddie ran up to Danny as soon as she saw him, giving him a big hug before stiffening. "Ooh, it must be dry in here. You gave me a little shock, dear." Danny pulled away, looking skeptically at her as she ran to the kitchen to boil a pot of water. It was pretty normal for the lab to be dry, but Jazz and Sam had helped Danny upstairs into the living room. It was usually humid up there.

"Jazzy, you said it's his head?" Jack asked his daughter, turning to her with a worried gaze.

"Well, Danny said it's his head. I called you right away; I figured a head injury is nothing to mess around with," Jazz explained, redirecting Jack's attention to his son.

"Danny-boy, what are you feeling? Where does it hurt?"

Danny had to keep himself from saying 'everywhere', even if it was accurate. He knew that answer wouldn't exactly be all that helpful. "Um, my head in general. A little more in the back, like something's pressing against my skull. And then there's radiating, sometimes shooting, pain all the way down my body," Danny explained, taking his time with each word. He knew he was talking slower than usual, but he just needed some time to recover from every word — scratch that, every syllable.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows, sizing Danny up as he slumped back in the plush recliner. "We should do a CAT scan. Maybe an MRI. Make sure there's nothing going on in your brain. With the pain all over, it might be a good idea to do an x-ray, too. Let me talk to your mother."

Jack followed Maddie into the kitchen, joining her as she started the pot of water on the stove. Danny watched their worried expressions before turning back to Jazz, Sam, and Valerie. He still didn't understand why Valerie was there. Sure, she'd been there when the world's leaders had accepted him as an international hero, and she seemed to be ok with his existence, but she still hadn't talked to him since. Come to think of it, he hadn't even seen her at school. So why was she here?

"You're going to be alright, baby brother," Jazz smiled sweetly at him, taking a seat on the sofa next to the recliner he'd been set in. Sam leaned closer to him against the recliner, grabbing his hand and tracing his fingernails.

"You've had this headache all week," Sam didn't even ask — she stated. Danny looked down and nodded slowly. "Why didn't you tell me how bad it was? Why would you keep this from me?"

Danny felt a pit drop into his stomach. He swallowed hard, looking up at Sam. He met her eyes, shaking his head gently. "I'm sorry."

"Danny, I'm not mad. I'm just _scared_."

Danny closed his eyes. His headache was getting worse again, and talking about it brought it to an unbearable level. He didn't know how to tell them that he needed a distraction.

"So you said that thing's a siren?" Valerie asked, eyeing the thermos she hadn't let go of since he had come to. Sam turned to her, and Danny could feel her hand tense in his.

"What does it matter? All ghosts are all the same to you, right?" Sam spat, her deep purple eyes narrowing at the other girl.

"What's your problem? I _helped_ your boyfriend, you know. Him _and_ his cousin," Valerie spat back, venom seeping into her voice despite her genuine intentions.

"My _problem_ ," Sam almost took a step towards Valerie, but Danny stopped her by hanging on to her hand tighter, "is that you tried to _kill_ him. Over and over again. And then you drop off the face of the earth, like nothing happened. Are you even sorry? Do you even care?"

Valerie turned away, her shoulders taught. "What do you want me to do with the siren?"

The ghost's voice echoed in Danny's ears again, causing him to tense up. ' _Spare me_ '. "No. I'll take her."

Valerie spun around so fast, Danny was surprised she didn't get whiplash. "But—"

"I said I'll take her," Danny asserted, meeting Valerie's eyes. "Please."

She squared her shoulders, giving him a small nod. Setting the thermos down on the small table next to Danny's chair, Valerie left, closing the door softly behind her.

"Danny," Maddie said, stepping out of the kitchen and looking at her son with worried eyes. "I think it's time to run some tests."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Things are just starting to ramp up, so stick with me :)
> 
> Also, I might post a bunch on here all at once to catch up to my fanfiction.net account, and after that I’ll be posting every other day probably.
> 
> Until next time!  
> ~Ash


	3. Greatest Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I kind of...have a habit of beating poor Danny up :( sorry in advance!

**Greatest Fears**

* * *

Here's the thing about keeping the kind of secret Danny used to keep — it made it easy to be afraid of tests. Especially the ones involving needles. Fortunately, when Danny told his parents about his fear of tests, they completely understood, assuring him that they'd hold off until he was ready. Unfortunately, now that Danny's headache had gotten worse, they told him they'd have to run tests whether he was comfortable with it or not.

"We'll be really careful, sweetie," Maddie assured her son, gently sweeping her hand across his forehead and moving the hair from his eyes.

"I know," Danny grumbled, his arms still crossed in front of him.

"And Jazzy and Sam will be right next to you the entire time," Jack continued, patting Danny on the back a little too hard, causing him to lurch forward. He narrowly kept himself from falling off of the lab table, his IV falling out. Maddie hadn't had the chance to tape it yet.

"Jack! Careful. He might be…well Danny might be _stronger_ than most, but he's still our little boy," Maddie said, her tone faltering as she kept herself from defining Danny's true nature. Neither of his parents had truly come to terms with what Danny was. They also hadn't come to terms with their part in it.

"And you won't mess with anything, even if it looks wrong, right?" Jazz cut in from behind Jack. Sam was standing next to her, and she flashed Danny a reassuring glance.

"Well, Jazz, if something's hurting him—" Maddie started.

"No, Mrs. Fenton," Sam cut in, taking a step towards her. "Ghosts have different anatomy. If it's a human issue, that's fine. But if it has something to do with his ghost half, we should really consult Frostbite."

"Frostbite?" Jack looked between his son and Sam.

"He's the leader of the Far Frozen," Danny explained, looking between his parents as he did so. "I have an ice core, so their doctors know how to deal with my ghost physiology."

"Oh. Of course," Maddie looked down, hurt coloring her voice.

"Mom," Danny said softly, drawing his mother's attention back to him. "It's alright. They know what they're doing. They've been helping ghosts for millennia. Maybe I could even bring you there, sometime. To meet them."

Maddie forced a smile. "I'd like that. I want to know all about this world you're a part of."

* * *

The tests didn't take all that long, in hindsight. Maybe an hour, because luckily, the Fentons had the equipment in their lab to do everything they needed to. For Danny, though, the tests drew on for what felt like an eternity. His parents were true to their word, carefully explaining what was happening before they performed the tests and making sure that Danny was as comfortable as possible. That didn't do much to ease his panic, though. At one point he needed to take a break, idly chatting with Sam outside in the fresh air to calm himself down.

"You're doing really great," Sam assured him, her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted them higher above Fenton Works. He was still in his human form, his raven hair fluttering in the light breeze.

"No, I'm not," Danny grumbled, turning his head away from her and twirling himself and Sam unconsciously. "These are easy tests. I started panicking because the MRI made too much noise. This is stupid."

"Danny—"

"I mean, I've fought ghosts. Big ones! I've faced bigger fears for months, and a few bumps have me freaking out?"

"Hey, listen to—"

"Hell, Sam, I helped save the world. They look at me like I'm some sort of hero. In all reality, I'm just _pathetic_."

"Danny!" Sam finally snapped, and Danny bit his tongue to keep from rambling on. "Stop that. You're stressed. You're in pain. And even if you weren't, this is what you've been afraid of since you got your powers. Of course you're gonna be a little freaked. I'd be more worried if you weren't."

Danny sighed, looking right at Sam and letting himself relax into her embrace. With a painful shudder, he let a few tears fall. "Sam, it hurts so bad. Usually I heal so quick. There's something wrong. Something wrong with me. Wrong with me…"

Sam pulled Danny's head into her shoulder, her fingers weaving through his thick black hair. "Shh. You're ok. It's alright, I promise. We'll figure this out. Shh. It's ok."

Danny continued to shake lightly, sobbing meaningless rambles into Sam's shoulder until he didn't have any more tears to cry. He hardly remembered Sam leading him back down the stairs, and his mind went in and out of focus during the remainder of the tests. By the time they were done, he could only really focus on small details. He decided to choose the test results.

"The good news is there's nothing wrong with your body," Maddie began solemnly, looking over at Jack with worry in her eyes. "We found a growth of ectoplasmic material near your heart, radiating cold. Jazz mentioned that's your ice core."

Danny nodded slowly, turning his attention over to his dad. "The bad news?"

"…Danny…" Jack began, though he couldn't seem to find the words. He looked over at Maddie, his eyes pleading.

"There's another ectoplasmic growth in your brain," Maddie finished, blinking tears out of her eyes. "The core near your heart really didn't cause too much damage. Your chest just grew a little to adjust. Your brain, though…that's a little more complicated. There's not enough room in there for another entire core to grow. It's not fully grown right now, either; it'll keep getting bigger."

Danny's mind swirled with the new information. Reaching his hand towards the back of his head, his fingers lightly traced the spot the pain was radiating from. "Ice?"

Now it was Maddie's turn to choke up, her gaze lingering on her husband. "No," Jack began slowly, his voice shaking. "It's warm, actually. Hot, when the MRI was going on. And… _electric_."

Danny's heart stopped for a few moments, causing the machines to go haywire. With a deep breath, he willed it to keep beating, and the machines returned to normal. He closed his eyes hard, blue light painting the inside of his eyelids. "That's not possible. Ghosts have _a_ core — one."

"Yes, usually. But Danny, you got rid of your powers, not your core," Maddie explained. "When you went into the ghost zone and jumpstarted your powers, we think you…half died again. It must have created another core."

Sam stood up from her seat in a lab stool next to Danny, her eyes tearing up. "What does this mean? Is he going to be alright?"

Maddie and Jack shared another long look before turning their attention back to their son. "We think it's time to go to Frostbite," Jack said softly.

* * *

Danny hated electricity. He hated it more than almost anything else. He'd die (again) before he'd admit it, but ever since his accident, he started avoiding outlets. Ghosts like Skulker and Technus who used electricity were some of the hardest for him to face. They were easy to defeat, but that didn't keep them from infecting his dreams. Their powers caused phantom pains from his accident to race against his skin.

And now Danny has those same powers. He had that same core. And it was growing in his _brain_ , of all places. He was becoming someone — no, some _thing_ — he never wanted to be. That thought scared him more than Skulker and Technus ever could.

"Hey, bro, you ok?" Tucker's soft voice shook Danny from his thoughts. He turned to his best friend, who was riding in the back of the Specter Speeder with him. Sam had called him after the elder Fentons' decision to bring their son to Frostbite. Now, Tucker joined the Fentons (Jazz included) and Sam in the Speeder as they flew through the Ghost Zone.

Danny slowed his breathing slightly, trying to keep from throwing himself into another panic attack. "Fine," he breathed the word out quietly.

"You don't look fine," Tucker half joked, elbowing Danny lightly in the side. He sighed gently when his elbow phased right through Danny, as if he wasn't even there. "Hey, it'll be ok. Frostbite knows what he's doing."

Danny's gaze wandered towards Sam, who was talking with Jazz near the cockpit. Jack and Maddie were up front, and Maddie, who was driving, would occasionally consult with the two teenage girls to make sure she was going the right way.

"Am I turning into him?" Danny asked cryptically, shivering as the words left his lips.

"Huh? Turning into who?" Tucker asked, his brows knitting together in concern.

"You know who. _Him_."

Silence hung in the air for a moment. As if sensing the tension, Sam and Jazz turned back, both looking at the boys quizzically.

"Danny. You know you'd never—"

"But I already did," Danny snapped, turning his head to look out one of the portholes and into the expansion of the Ghost Zone. "Remember?"

Before either of the boys could react, Sam was by Danny's side, her arms wrapped around his neck. He turned to her slowly, meeting her eyes.

"I remember you swearing you'd never be like him," Sam said gently, having obviously picked up on what they had been talking about. "I remember you saving yourself. I remember you saving us. All of us."

Danny opened his mouth to respond, but shocked himself when all he could do was whimper softly. He shuddered, and Sam retracted her arms and yelped.

"Ow!" she hissed, looking down at her arms, which were smoking just enough for Danny to notice. Immediately, his heart sank into his toes, and he pushed himself away from her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His words tasted just like the accident. He shuddered away from his friends.

"No, Danny," Sam looked back at him, moving her arms to hug him again, only to wince from the pain. "Please. It's alright. We're going to figure this out."

"Don't let me ever become him," Danny muttered under his breath as he turned farther away from his friends. He closed his eyes, and felt tears begin to well in their corners. "No matter what it takes."

"Sam?" Jazz asked before any of the trio could so much as move. Danny stayed turned away, but he could hear Sam's disgruntled sigh as she turned towards Jazz.

"What?" her tone was bitter and sharp.

"I need help finding the Far Frozen. I think maybe we took a wrong turn or something..." Jazz explained.

"Tucker, can you—" Sam started.

"Yeah, I've got it. Go," Tucker replied hastily, and Danny heard Sam get up and make her way back to Jazz. "Hey man, so—" Tucker began, reaching his hand out to grab Danny's shoulder.

"Stop," Danny growled, electricity coursing through his veins. He didn't notice, but bright turquoise sparks jumped off his skin. Tucker pulled his hand back.

"We'll figure this out, ok?" Tucker asked, lingering dangerously close as the sparks spat angrily once more before sinking back into his skin.

"Yeah. Whatever."

Danny didn't remember much from the rest of the trip to the Far Frozen. It took nearly all of his concentration to keep the electricity from pulling him under. The raw energy was overwhelming his senses, and he was hardly hanging by a thread when the Speeder slowed to a stop.

"So what now?" Danny heard his mom ask in his direction. He didn't dare open his eyes or mouth in fear that the electricity might jump out and consume everyone he cared about. That thought sent another painfully electric shudder through his bones.

"We go get Frostbite," Sam explained. Danny figured she must have found her way to his side once more, as her voice was coming from right next to him. She was close. _Too_ close. "I don't...it's dangerous to touch him right now. I think."

Danny whimpered, trying one any way to tell them that Sam was right. If he hurt anyone at all, it would destroy him before the electricity could.

The door to the Speeder opened and closed, and Danny shuddered again from the sudden movement. He groaned from the pit of his stomach, pushing his lips together to keep the energy within him. The door opened again, though this time it didn't close.

"—hasn't moved since," Jack finished his sentence, talking to someone else. "You know what to do, don't you?"

"Thank you for bringing him to me," Frostbite's voice rang through the Speeder. His footsteps drew closer to Danny until the teenager was shuddering in the larger ghost's shadow. "Great One..." his tone was dripping with pity.

Danny whined, electricity unconsciously sparking across his skin. Frostbite bent down and grabbed him gently, and something in Danny's mind snapped. He writhed, clawing and scratching out of pure instinct as the energy that had built up within him exploded outwards, causing Frostbite to almost drop him. Somehow, he maintained his grip on Danny, squeezing tighter. Danny slowly lost the last of his energy, the adrenaline draining out of him suddenly. He went limp in Frostbite's arms, and his senses were overwhelmed at last by the power coursing through his veins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, what do you think?
> 
> Again, three chapters posted in a row is a lot! I’ve got two more though that I want to post, but I’ll hold off and do it tomorrow I think. Then I’ll be back on track for posting with my other account.
> 
> Until next time!  
> ~Ash


	4. Building a New Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Nobody:  
> Not a soul:  
> Me: I’m gonna make Danny suffer a little. As a treat.

**Building a New Man**

* * *

Danny woke up in a warm bed, unlike his last visit to the Far Frozen. His head was still pounding, but the rest of his body wasn't following suit anymore. He sighed in contentment, opening his eyes and nearly jumping out of his skin when Jazz blinked down at him.

"You're awake!" she whispered in relief. She didn't hug him, though Danny could tell she was straining against the instinct.

"Yeah..." Danny took a deep breath, enjoying how much lighter his body felt. "Did Frostbite fix me up yet?"

Jazz gulped, turning away from Danny as he sat up slowly. "He gave you some sort of ghost painkiller, and something to keep your— uh, the— electricity in check."

"So we can go back, then?" Danny asked, noting how much better he felt. Maybe Frostbite could package up some of whatever he'd given him, just in case.

"No, Danny...that's just to keep you comfortable," Jazz explained, turning back to him with a tearful expression. Danny's heart sank.

"I'm dying."

"No! No, absolutely not."

"Then _what_?!" Danny yelled, electricity sparkling through his hair. He took another deep breath, running his fingers through his hair cautiously. "I'm sorry, I—"

"No, don't apologize, it's ok," Jazz sent him a supportive smile, and Danny felt himself relax a bit. "Your second core is still growing in your brain, but we're lucky we caught it now. It's about half size right now, but it's growing exponentially, so you only had one more day before..."

Danny gulped, moving his hand towards the back of his head and pulling away when a sharp pain accompanied the movement. "So what now?"

"Frostbite thinks his surgeons can move it from your brain to your chest. There's a little cavity right next to your core; they think your chest overcompensated when it expanded for your first core."

Danny's blood ran colder than usual. "Surgery. On my brain _and_ my chest?"

Jazz looked at him pitifully, which made him a little upset. He didn't need pity, he just needed answers. "They're going to do it mostly with intangibility. And it should be ok. The surgeons are really good here!" She sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

Danny nodded slowly, pulling his hand down from his throbbing head. "The risks?"

Jazz turned away, hunching over slightly. "Best case scenario - you're going to have some nasty scars. Possibly some emotional trauma, since they'll be handling your core and it's so new. Worst case..."

Jazz was interrupted by someone walking into the small ice cave. He hadn't taken the time to soak in his surroundings earlier, but with the distraction, his eyes made a quick scan. They were in a cave made of beautiful clear-blue ice, glowing green swirls patterning then from deep within. There were a few ghostly flowers growing in the corners of the cave, and it felt exceptionally warm for the Far Frozen. Danny deducted that it must have been heated somehow.

"I must talk to the Great One, Jasmine," Frostbite's voice interrupted Danny's focus, drawing it to the lumbering ghost instead.

"Of course," Jazz nodded, walking to the door quickly before stopping and turning back for a moment. She was crying, but she still managed to send Danny a gentle smile. "I love you, Danny."

"Love you too," Danny said softly, trying for a smile but landing on a strange wince instead. Jazz left, disappearing into the icy cold.

"Great One—" Frostbite began.

"Please," Danny interrupted, shifting his attention to Frostbite. "Call me Danny."

Frostbite gave him a small smile, walking over to him and taking a seat next to the bed in a chair that had been placed there. "Danny. Has your sister informed you of our plans?"

Danny gulped hard, swallowing a whimper that threatened to leave his lips. "About the surgery. Yeah. She told me best case, it'll scar and cause..."

"Emotional trauma, yes," Frostbite picked up where Danny left off. "That is almost inevitable. Your core is still so raw. You haven't yet processed what happened to you when your powers were reinstated, and this surgery will cause you to do so much faster than you may be ready for."

"Great," Danny grumbled, crossing his arms in front of him.

"You can do this," Frostbite rested his hand on Danny's shoulder, not even flinching as his body sent an instinctual shock outwards. "I know you can."

Danny sighed, closing his eyes and turning his head towards his lap. "And the worst case scenario?"

Frostbite sighed heavily. "You'll develop a third core."

Danny opened his eyes slowly, staring down at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them shakily. "What does that mean?"

"Death. Real, complete death," Frostbite explained solemnly. "Because of your ghostly roots, you would retain your memories, powers, and form. But you would be truly dead."

Danny nodded painfully, looking back up at Frostbite. "And if we don't do the surgery?"

"Then your death is inevitable by this time tomorrow."

Danny sighed, biting his lip and looking at Frostbite right in his eyes. "Let's get ready for the surgery."

* * *

Danny's little cave-room became a revolving door of family and friends while the surgeons prepped him for surgery, plugging him in to various IVs and setting up electrodes on different pulse points along his body.

When his parents came in to talk to him, it was evident that they were both holding back tears. His mom almost reached out and touched him too many times, and his dad did at one point pat him on the shoulder. As a result, Jack ended up on his butt, his hair singed the slightest bit. They left not too long after that, letting Jazz and Tucker come to talk to him.

Jazz was tearful, though she tried to keep it together for Danny's sake. Tucker, on the other hand, dealt with the tension by cracking jokes left and right. He even got a laugh out of Danny at one point, which he didn't think was possible at a time like this. They left when the surgeons said they were almost ready, allowing Sam a few minutes to talk with him.

"Hey," Sam said, walking briskly over to Danny's bed, taking a seat next to him.

"Hey," Danny breathed, his voice rattling slightly.

"You're gonna be ok," Sam decided, nodding with conviction.

"Oh yeah?" Danny cocked his eyebrow, smirking idly at her. "And what makes you so sure, huh?"

"Because you're too good to die. And too strong. You're gonna make it. I just know it."

Danny blinked back tears, the smirk slipping from his lips. "You don't know that, Sam. There's a risk that—"

"They told us all about the risks," Sam insisted, her voice firm. "And I'm telling you that you're going to make it."

Danny nodded, wanting more than anything to reach out and grab her hand.

"Great One," one of the surgeons interrupted. "It's time."

Danny had a hard time remembering much of anything past that point. He knew he said goodbye to Sam, though he couldn't remember the specifics. The surgeons had begun the pre-op at that point, and must have already been giving him some sort of painkiller or relaxant. He faded in and out as he was transported to a surgery room, and then his vision went black.

The first thing he felt was the incision on the back of his head. It felt... _strange_ , right away. Not necessarily painful, but icy-hot. He could tell the blade was made of ice, which helped alleviate some of the scorching hot next to his brain. As they continued cutting, Danny was mostly unbothered. He was guessing that was thanks to the painkillers and sedative they'd given him. For a little while, he thought maybe it wouldn't be that bad. If this was all it was going to feel like, then he would be alright.

And then, they started handling his core, and his world tipped on its side. Immediately, he was thrown into the ghost zone, surrounded by his enemies.

 _Help me_ , he wanted to call out to someone — anyone. They were attacking him and it _hurt_. He was just trying to help. He just wanted to help them. He just wanted to help everyone. Why wouldn't they let him? Why couldn't he just help them?

 _Weak_ , Danny's mind reverberated that word. The core was out of his body. It whimpered in tune with Danny. _Weak_.

Pain. All over his body, like his blood was made of it. Ectoplasm encapsulated his being as his enemies shot at him in harmony. The electricity scared him the most. He was already so weak — so helpless. It reminded him of the accident. He felt cold. He felt hot. He felt nothing but pain and fear, cold and hot, back and forth like an out of control pinball machine.

There must have already been an incision in his chest, because he could feel the surgeons digging around. That didn't hurt. What hurt was his developing core writhing in their hands, screaming louder than Danny ever could have. It was weak, and Danny was weak, and the world around him was too much for him to take.

His body was overstimulated with suffering, memories crawling over his skin like fire ants. They gnawed at his form relentlessly. And then as quickly as it had started, all of it stopped. They put his core in his chest. It nestled in, and Danny could feel it fusing itself to his body. It wouldn't be pulled out of him again. It made certain of that. Everything went black and numb in an instant.

* * *

The next thing Danny remembered was talking to Sam. He had been out of surgery for a little over a day at that point, but he had been either mostly unconscious, or in a sort of coma.

"You're doing great," Sam's voice faded into focus as Danny's eyes opened slowly.

"Hmmmf?" Danny moaned gently. He looked at Sam as her eyes went wide, a smile spreading across her face.

"He's awake!" she yelled out the door of the icy cave, turning away from Danny for a split second before turning back to him. "You're awake. Danny..."

Sam reached down and touched Danny's face. He half expected her to recoil from a shock, but sank into relief when she didn't. The electricity within him felt changed. It was subdued. It still burned within his chest, but he had a handle on it now. Honestly, he was a little excited to flex the new muscle, but decided it would be best to wait until he was fully recovered.

"Hey," Danny's voice rasped against his throat.

"Shh, don't talk. You're in recovery, and you're ok. You made it," Sam breathed the words down to him, and he let them sink in.

"I made it?" Danny asked, questioning the obvious.

"You made it," Sam nodded tearfully, brushing her fingers through his hair.

Danny took stock of himself and knew immediately that it was true. He'd made it, and the best case had happened. He wasn't dead. But there was something different about him. Something deep within him had snapped, and that would take some time to heal. His new core was fully grown, and had taken quickly to its new home in his chest. But that didn't mean it was healed. A crack had formed, and Danny knew that if he didn't work to mend it quickly, it might just destroy him from the inside out.

Danny may have made it, but he came out of the surgery a new man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> This is chapter one of two to be posted today, so stay tuned!
> 
> As far as the story goes, I’m really excited to show everyone what I’ve got planned. It’s definitely going to be a lot more intense than I thought when I picked up the idea :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	5. Cracking Core

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny doesn’t play nice very well anymore

**Crackling Core**

* * *

Recovering from Danny's surgery wasn't too difficult physically. They had had to make a few incisions to get a better look at his brain and chest due to his half human nature, but those wounds healed quickly thanks to Danny's ability to heal himself. He was up and able to do most anything he wanted just a day after he regained consciousness.

However, there were a few things that would never heal, the main one being the scars that danced along Danny's body. Bright red and violet vines tangled themselves beneath his skin, moving down his neck, around his back, and concentrating in a spiral around his chest — the spot where his new core rested, to be specific. Frostbite told him the scars would be there forever, even past Danny's death. He also warned him not to overuse the electricity right away.

"Have you noticed anything about your new core?" Frostbite had asked him carefully.

"It's..." Danny gulped. "It's cracked."

"Indeed," Frostbite's tone was heavy as he spoke. "An injury like that can destroy a ghost if not treated correctly. You must speak with Clockwork, within the next human month at the very least."

"Clockwork," Danny's brows furrowed as he looked at the ghost before him. "Why him?"

"Because, Great One—"

"Ahem."

"Danny," Frostbite smiled. "We deal with ice and ice cores here in the Far Frozen. While we can withstand electricity, we do not specialize in it. You must go to your other mentor, one who has a wider knowledge of such topics."

Danny soaked in Frostbites words, deciding he'd go to Clockwork as soon as the dust settled around him. While he did want to get his core taken care of, he also needed a break from his ghostly half. At the very least, he needed a break from the Ghost Zone. When his parents and friends loaded into the Speeder to go back home, Danny found himself feeling strangely hopeful. Sure, something was broken and rattling around within him, but it was treatable. He was going to be alright, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

While Danny, Jazz, and Sam has all been away from Casper High, the school had sunk deeper into a sense of normality since the meteor incident. Sure, there was the typical high school buzz around the group's disappearance from school, but considering they knew it was related to Danny's ghost-fighting abilities, the gossip died down quick enough. By the time they returned to school, most people had moved on with their lives. Keyword, _most_.

"Oh, Danny!" Paulina waved at Danny playfully the moment he and Sam entered the school. "You're back! Look who's back, everyone!"

A few students turned to look at Danny, gazing in awe. A couple more turned their attention to him before going back to what they were doing. The rest didn't pay any attention to Paulina or Danny.

Danny almost shrank into himself before remembering that he didn't have to anymore. Everyone knew who he really was. His head remained squared on his shoulders.

"Hey, um, Fenton," Dash ran up from Danny's left side, and he whirled around to meet his gaze. Dash stopped a few yards away, smiling awkwardly at him.

"Dash?" Danny forced his tone to stay steady. Sam tightened her grip on his hand, and that calmed him down enough to keep his head high.

"Uh, welcome back," Dash shuffled awkwardly. He leaned against the lockers upon looking down at his feet and realizing what he was doing. "Fight any good ghosts while you were gone?" the jock tried to act suave.

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat, his wounded core throbbing in discontentment. The hand Sam wasn't holding shot to his neck, grazing the scarred, tender skin lightly. "Sure. You could say that."

"Danny—" Sam cut in, picking up on his sudden tension.

"I'm fine, Sam," Danny said more forcefully than he'd meant to, and a small jolt of electricity shot through his fingertips. Sam pulled her hand away, wincing as she did.

"Woah," Dash gasped, looking between the other two teens. "Is that a new power? That's so cool dude!"

Danny should've just stayed calm. He should have left it. It was the beginning of the school day, his classmates were all around him, and a few were still staring thanks to Paulina's little announcement. He didn't need the attention — didn't _want_ it, actually. But something inside him broke a little. It hurt like his new core was being prodded. Like it was cracking again.

He turned to Dash, sparks skittering over his glowing, blue-tinged skin. He could feel his eyes growing brighter, a small hiss escaping his lips. Before anyone could move, Danny was holding Dash off the ground by his collar.

"I'm not your _dude,_ " Danny's words boomed from his chest, rattling Dash's entire body.

"Danny!" Sam called from behind him, but he could hardly hear her over the sound of blood pounding against his ears.

"We're not friends. You are a miserable, disgusting excuse of a man," Danny's words leapt from somewhere outside of himself. Dash quivered against the locker, sparks dancing along his letterman jacket. They threatened to lick his skin, and the jock let out a small whimper.

"I- I'm sorry! I never knew—" Dash began.

"You never knew!" Danny was yelling now, his entire body shaking with rage. His eyes burned brighter, and the sparks intensified, becoming a sickly green color. "You never stopped to think about anyone but yourself. I was a kid. We're all just kids! And you hurt them."

"Danny, please," Sam pleaded, her voice strained.

"I wish you could change," Danny spat, a small shower of sparks launching themselves at Dash's face. They singed his eyebrows and the whisper of a blonde mustache he had. "But you'll never stop hurting them. You'll never stop hurting _me_."

Before either of them could think to do anything else, Danny froze, suddenly rigid.

"...Fenton?" Dash asked shakily just a moment before Danny collapsed, spasming lightly as arch's of green electricity pulsed over his skin. "Woah!"

"Get away from him!" Sam yelled. Even if she hadn't, all of the students were already looking at Danny and Dash, dropping whatever they'd been doing before. Sam ran up to him, removing a key from a small pocket in her skirt and using it to unlock the belt she must have slipped around his waist. The belt slipped off with a few clicks, and she slid it across the floor. It skidded to a stop right in front of Dash's sneakers.

"...Sam?" Danny asked hazily, coming back into consciousness slowly. He didn't even remember slipping out if it.

"Hey, you're fine. At school, ok?" Sam cooed, brushing her fingers through his hair as his head rested on her lap. She ignored the snaps of electricity that tickled her fingertips.

Danny's brows furrowed. He was having a hard time remembering anything about that day. "School?"

"Shit," Sam cursed under her breath. "Danny, what do you remember? How do you feel?"

Danny closed his eyes for a moment, letting the fuzzy haze roll out of his mind. "I was nervous. Getting ready for bed. Tomorrow's supposed to be my first day back."

"Back from what?" Sam asked, and Danny's body went rigid. "Please, I know it's hard but I need to know if you lost any memory."

Danny stifled a sob, instead shaking as memories flooded his brain. "Help. All I needed was help, Sam."

"What? No, Danny—"

"I was just trying to help," Danny said, a million miles away from reality. He was back in the Ghost Zone, his enemies lurking over him. Tears rolled down his face now, and he watched the light green droplets float off into the Zone. "I was helpless. They shot. They shot. Electricity. It's just the same. Electricity."

"Shh, hey, we're here," Sam's voice came from all around him. He tried to look for her, but found someone was restraining him. _Hugging_ him.

"Here?" Danny's eyes darted around the Zone. His enemies continued to stare into his mind.

"School," Sam whispered, and just like that, the Ghost Zone melted from around him. The hallway of Casper High faded back into existence. Danny panted, rubbing his eyes hastily and staring at Sam in fear. His hands were wet. No...his _eyes_ were wet.

"Sam?" Danny asked, his voice sizzling. Everything tasted like tin foil. He couldn't move.

"Where are we? Do you remember anything else?" Sam asked, her tone shaking slightly.

"Frostbite," Danny's hand inched towards his chest. He bit back a sob, shuddering. "Surgery."

"Yes, the surgery," Sam sighed in relief, letting a few tears fall. They carried thick streams of mascara and eyeliner with them. Danny smiled up at her.

He sometimes forgot how lucky he was to have Sam in his life. She was stubborn, hardheaded, and reckless. And she was the kindest, most passionate person he knew. Despite everything Danny put her through, she was always right there. He closed his eyes and just took a few deep breaths, bathing in Sam's warm embrace.

"Are you hurt? I'm sorry I used the Specter Deflector, it's just you weren't listening and you were so angry and I—" Sam rambled on, her pace picking up the longer she went on.

"I'm ok," Danny stopped her, opening his eyes and sitting up on his own. He prodded his chest lightly, sighing in relief when he felt it was ok. The crack had deepened, but was still stable. "But I need to go to Clockwork."

Sam's brows furrowed, looking at Danny uneasily. "Now?"

"Now."

Sam nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her black makeup smudged itself across her cheeks. Danny smirked at her, using his fingers to gently wipe away the marks. They were still there, but not nearly as noticeable. Sam sent him a thankful glance before getting up and helping Danny to his feet. He hissed in pain the second he was standing, his hand shooting to his chest.

"Danny? Is Danny ok?" Paulina asked, reminding Danny that it wasn't just him and Sam. The entire school had crowded around them, Paulina and Dash both closer to them than anyone else.

Sam glared at Paulina, turning her head and hardening her stare further to look at Dash. "You should be ashamed with yourselves. You didn't care about him before. Why is now any different?"

None of the students spoke. The only sound was Danny's wheezing breath as he attempted to steady himself. Luckily, Sam let him lean against her for support.

"I'm so sorry," Dash was the first to speak. His blue eyes patched themselves together like broken stained glass. He looked shattered.

"Save it," Sam said before Danny could speak. "You're an asshole, Dash."

The jock just nodded, looking down to the ground and picking up the Specter Deflector. He handed it to Sam, who snatched it hastily. "Let's get going, Danny," Sam breathed the words, turning and softening her stare for him.

"Jazz," Danny wheezed.

"I'll call her. Come on, we have to hurry," Sam said it so softly, probably in hopes that nobody else would overhear her. "You're shaking. Does Clockwork really...please tell me..."

Sam started shaking now, and Danny pressed his forehead against her's. "I trust Frostbite, and I trust Clockwork. I'll be ok, I promise."

Sam pursed her lips, thinking. A little louder now, "Can you transform?"

Danny closed his eyes, gently prodding at his chest before grunting softly. "No," he opened his eyes, "I can't."

"Then you'll need me," Valerie stepped forward from the crowd, stopping next to Sam and lowering her tone so the rest of the students couldn't hear. "I know you want to argue, but Danny looks weak. I can bring him wherever he needs to go. I just need you to trust me." Her gaze flicked towards Danny now. "Both of you. Please. Trust me."

Danny took a moment, assessing the situation. By the time they set up the Speeder, he might be in too much pain to show them where Clockwork is. Besides, he knew Valerie was quick. She'd be able to get him there fast.

"Ok," Danny agreed. Sam tensed up next to him. "Sam, stay here and talk to Jazz and Tuck. Oh, and mom and dad too, I guess."

"But—" Sam began to protest.

"Sam," Danny sent her a reassuring glance. "I'll be ok. You've got the tracking system still honed into my ecto-signature — follow me in the Speeder."

Sam looked back and forth between Valerie and Danny once more. "You're sure?"

Danny nodded, grabbing Valerie's hand hastily and turning them both intangible. He used what little energy he had left to bring them underground, speeding outside and dropping them by the side of the school. Immediately, he collapsed, Valerie catching him in her arms quickly.

"Woah, Danny," Valerie gasped, helping him back to his feet. "You doing ok?" she half joked. Danny turned back to her, taking a shaking breath and shaking his head slowly.

"No. We need to go now," Danny said, his words slurring through an electrified hiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I’m all caught up with my friends.net account, which is exciting! I’ll be posting again tomorrow, then switching to every other day while I’m writing a lot with this COVID fun (sarcasm)
> 
> Honestly though, it has been nice to take some time and write during all of this. What are all of you doing during quarantine? Is everyone even still in quarantine or am I just another ignorant American?
> 
> Anyways, thank you for the kudos and comment! I’ve only had this up a day, so it really makes me happy to see people enjoying it :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	6. Ticks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little filler chapter with some drama mixed in ;)

**Ticks**

* * *

By the time Valerie flew Danny and herself to Clockwork's tower, Danny was nearly unconscious, using all of his strength not to fall off of her hover board.

"Here," Danny wheezed, his white hair falling into his green-blue eyes. While he'd transformed at some point in the Ghost Zone, his eyes had retained some of their bright blue color. Valerie swerved the hover board into the tower, landing on the stone ground gently. She hopped off, grabbing Danny by his arm before he slid off.

"Hey, come on, we made it," Valerie's tone was shaky as she spoke to him. "What's his name again? Tick-Master?"

"Clockwork," Danny seethed from the pain, his hand planted firmly against his chest. Valerie nodded, removing her Red Huntress mask and calling out for Clockwork.

"Ah, Daniel, about time you came by," Clockwork appeared behind the teens. Valerie yelped and nearly dropped Danny, but the time ghost was quick enough to swoop in and catch him first.

"C- C- Clo—" Valerie tried to speak, but before she could finish, the elder ghost waved his hand, causing her to freeze. Danny looked up at him, noting the Time Medallion he'd slipped around his neck.

"Hey, Clockwork," Danny groaned before immediately losing consciousness, his body spasming as electricity coursed through his veins. He wasn't quite sure how much time passed while he was in this state — time was weird in the Zone, especially in Clockwork's lair. Before he knew it, though, his eyes were shuddering open, his head resting on a cold stone slab. It felt good compared to the burning heat in his chest.

"Daniel," Clockwork's voice drifted into his mind.

"Hmmf?" Danny's lips hardly parted as he came to slower than he wanted.

"Wake up," Clockwork demanded, and before Danny could do anything else, he jolted awake, sitting upright with a start.

"Yes!" Danny panted heavily, looking around before locking eyes with Clockwork. Calming his hectic breathing, he placed a hand on his chest, checking his new core. "How long have I been out?"

"I've already told you," adult Clockwork spread his arms out before him, transforming into his younger self. "Time moves differently here."

Danny nodded, taking note that his new core felt less distressed, like it had had time to calm down. "You know why I'm here, don't you."

Clockwork smiled sadly, nodding. "Indeed. A ghost's core is their essence. It pains me to hear that yours had to be tampered with."

"Yeah," Danny grumbled, rubbing his chest idly, "it pains me too."

Clockwork chuckled, drawing Danny's attention back up to him. "It will be alright. You came soon enough, and any damage done can be repaired at this point. But you will have to strengthen it — _use_ it — if you want to avoid another injury."

Danny sighed, his head dropping. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Daniel, electricity is a fine power. Combined with your existing ice core, you will wield more power than any existing ghost. Possibly even myself. This is nothing to scoff at," the old ghost explained, his form shifting to match his true age.

"I know," Danny sighed, rubbing his eyes before looking anxiously at his mentor. "I don't want it, though. Can't I...I don't know...give it to someone else?"

Clockwork chuckled once again. "Many of us would rather give our power up than wield it. But that is not how it works, Daniel. You may not have chosen this power, but it chose you, nonetheless. You have been chosen to wield it. It is your responsibility to train yourself and do it justice."

Danny's chest swelled at this, pride painting a small smile across his face. "That's not true, is it?"

"Indeed it is. You have been chosen. You have a good heart — strong. I'm not worried for you. You will be phenomenal," Clockwork's prideful voice almost made Danny tear up.

"Thank you, Clockwork."

Clockwork nodded, floating closer to Danny now and placing a hand over his on his chest. "Your core's crack deepened just prior to your visit. Anger, it feels like, fuels this core. That means you must control your emotions; keep them in check."

"How do I do that?"

"It's a skill you develop, overtime. Until then, you must begin practice with your new electric powers. Chanel your anger through them, and your core will heal itself further."

"Further?"

Clockwork smirked again, bringing his hand away from the young halfa. "I healed it as much as my powers allow me to. The rest is up to you."

Danny focused on his core again, noticing that the crack had shrunk to nearly half its size. "Thank you."

"Of course, Daniel," Clockwork smiled, looking out of his tower. Danny followed his gaze, finding the Specter Speeder floating just outside one of the windows. "Now, I'm afraid our time here is up. You'll find all your friends in that vehicle."

* * *

Valerie must have been dropped into the Speeder unexpectedly, because when Danny phased in, she was fighting with Sam, who's lap she had apparently fallen into.

"I don't know, Sam!" Valerie struggled to get up, but Sam seemed to inadvertently struggle against her, keeping her planted. "We just got there and next thing I know, I'm here!"

"Well," Sam grunted through clenched teeth, "get off!" She finally wrapped her hands around Valerie's wrist and flipped her to the ground.

"Oh, I swear—" Valerie started, getting up and into a fighting stance.

"You swear what, huh?" Sam leapt to her feet at that, holding her fists our in front of her like she was ready for a fight.

"Woah!" Danny stepped between them, and both of their stances fell.

"Danny!" Sam wrapped her arms around him, forgetting about Valerie for a moment.

"Thanks for coming," Danny said, wrapping his arms around Sam tightly and melting into her embrace.

"Clockwork's already done? Did he...?" Sam pulled away, eyeing Danny's chest uneasily.

"He did as much as he can. I have to take care of the rest," Danny explained, thinking back on Clockwork's words. "In training."

"Dude, you're ok!" Tucker hugged the couple from the side, causing the trio to laugh heartily for a few seconds. They all pulled away at the same time, and Tucker ruffled Danny's hair jokingly. "You has me going there for a second. When Sam called, I dropped the internship and came straight over."

"Hey buddy," Jazz said softly, drawing Danny's attention to the cockpit, where she was seated at the driver's seat. "Clockwork took care of you?"

Danny nodded, looking around the Speeder hesitantly. "Mom? Dad?"

Everyone was silent for a moment before Sam sighed from next to Danny. "I didn't tell them."

"What?!" Danny, Tucker, and Valerie (who Danny had almost forgotten was there) all asked at once.

"It was my call," Jazz said, bringing shaking hands to her lap. All eyes were on her, and she gulped, staring at her hands. "They haven't been taking the news well. I overheard them talking for other day. I just...I think we should keep them out of it. Just until they adjust a little more."

Danny pursed his lips, thinking of how to respond. "Ok. No mom and dad."

"For now, at least," Jazz said, hugging her sides and looking back at Danny. "Trust me on this."

Danny nodded now. "I do, I trust you. It's just..." he didn't know how to put it into words. For so long, he hid so much from his parents. Now, all he wanted was to be open with them, but there was still some sort of barrier up. Danny didn't know if he was holding back, or if they were distancing themselves, but things did feel tense. Maybe Jazz was right to keep them out of this. "Ok, let's go then, I guess."

"Back to school?" Valerie asked slowly, her voice almost a little quiet.

"We should, Danny you've already missed so much class," Jazz said, turning to her little brother and beginning to ramble about his grades and the importance of his education.

"Yeah," Danny finally cut in, smiling at his sister. "You're right. Let's go back there."

"Will you be alright, though?" Sam asked, squeezing Danny's hand and drawing his attention back to her. "I mean, with... _everyone_ there."

Sam didn't have to explain, Danny knew exactly what she meant. He closed his eyes, images of Dash and Paulina flashing between his deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. Obviously this new core was fueled by anger, but how did he control it? Opening his eyes, he let go of Sam's hand, bringing both his hands in front of him. With careful concentration, he willed bright blue sparks to dance at his fingertips, skittering to a halt when he closed his hands.

"I think I'll be ok. I just have to get better at controlling it," his cheeks flushed a bit as he talked, the after effect of using his power hitting him. It felt like he'd just been injected with adrenaline, but in the best way possible.

Sure, this new power was scary and uncontrollable. But Danny hadn't actually stopped to think about how _fun_ it could be.

* * *

After returning from the Ghost Zone, the rest of the school day flew by Danny quicker than he thought it would. His classmates regarded him strangely, though most ultimately kept their distance. Sam was strangely quiet, Jazz went to class with the upperclassmen, so he didn't really get to see her, and Valerie disappeared the second they got back to school.

Luckily, he had the rest of his classes with Sam, and not with Paulina or Dash, like he did in the mornings. Valerie was supposed to be in his last class for the day, but she didn't show, which gave Danny a bad feeling.

"Where do you think Valerie went?" Danny asked Sam as they walked out of class. Mr. Lancer eyed them skeptically as they passed, causing them both to sigh. The teens weren't oblivious to Mr. Lancer's obvious discomfort around Danny since the asteroid incident.

"Hmm. I wasn't thinking about it," Sam's tone held a dangerous edge. "You're thinking about her?"

Danny bit his lip as he looked into the sea of students. The current of the crowded hallway picked up as students were let out of their final class for the day. "She just left. She hardly even said anything."

Sam sighed, pulling her hand out of Danny's. He looked over to her, eyes lingering over her scowl. "Wow. Ok. So what, she's the one who gets to help you, and she's the one you end up thinking about."

"Sam—"

"No, no," Sam shook her head, holding up her hands and laughing bitterly at him. "I get it. I _really_ do."

"It's not like that," Danny lowered his tone, taking a step towards Sam before she tensed up. Danny stopped, his breath falling from his lips. "Are you afraid of me?"

Sam closed her eyes, folding her arms in front of her and pulling herself into a hug. "I just don't know what to do anymore, Danny."

"Sam—"

She opened her eyes, stepping back and looking at him with new eyes. "Don't make this something it's not, ok? I'm not afraid of you. I'm just..."

Danny shivered, sparks rolling off his skin instinctually. "Scared."

"No!" Sam yelled, uncrossing her arms and stomping her foot in defiance. "I'm just lost, ok? You don't tell me anything anymore! I'm so goddamn worried about you but you're always 'just fine'. And then today, you have _her_ of all people bring you?!"

"I'm sorry," Danny said, feeling as sparks leapt off of his skin idly. He watched Sam's hands rattle themselves into shaking fists.

"And then you do that," Sam's voice was tearful, drawing his attention back up to her face. "You're so fucking good. But you keep fucking up." Sam laughed bitterly once more, wiping the tears from her eyes before they fell to preserve her makeup. "I just need some time! That's all. I just need..."

Danny felt his own eyes begin to prickle with tears now. "We're breaking up?"

Sam let a stray tear fall, wiping it hastily as she took a deep breath. "No. I don't know. Maybe? Danny, I just need time to adjust."

Danny's chest deflated. He closed his eyes, letting a few tears fall before shuddering in a deep breath. He looked back at Sam, offering her a sad smile — the kind he wore when he was injured in battle, but was trying to keep things lighthearted. "Ok. I get it."

Sam studied him, finally relaxing her hands. "I'm sorry. Really, I am—"

"You need time," Danny spat it bitterly now. He still wore that same smile, though it grew cynical the longer it lingered on his lips. "Time to adjust. We all need a little time to adjust, right?"

Sam's eyes glazed over in realization. Her mouth made a little 'o' shape, and she brought her hands up to cover it. "Oh, no, I didn't mean—"

"Need a little time to get used to things," Danny laughed humorlessly again, prodding his chest and jumping when the action resulted in a shock weaving through his bones. "Wouldn't. That. Be. Nice."

Sam lurched forward, reaching out for Danny. She fell through him, though, like he wasn't even there. He didn't feel like he was really there.

"I need to go train," Danny's voice was hollow as he turned around, hefting his backpack higher up on his shoulders.

"Wait! Danny..." Sam trailed off, and Danny looked over his shoulder to see her crying again. "I just...I'll be here. You know that, don't you?"

Danny nodded, not saying another word as he walked out of Casper High.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I know this one is a little filler-y, and I’m sorry for that. Things will pick up coming up here, so don’t worry :)
> 
> Next chapter will be up the day after tomorrow!
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	7. Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Fight or Flight’ I title this chapter, knowing full well there is no fighting
> 
> (Aka, welcome to another interpersonal drama chapter!)

**Fight or Flight**

* * *

"Oops," Danny chuckled with a sigh, wiping sweat from his forehead before it threatened to drip into his eyes. He looked around him, not bothering to fight the smile that rose to his lips.

He was standing in the middle of what used to be a forest. Now, the heavy oaks and pines were flattened out around him, electricity sparkling in a few of their branches. Danny had only been training for about an hour or so, but already his new power felt strong. He could almost use it with as much ease as his other abilities, which was absolutely exhilarating.

"Danny?" a soft voice interrupted Danny's train of thought. Instinctively, he twirled around midair, readying an ecto-blast for any potential threat. Instead, he came face to face with none other than Valerie, the hood of her suit revealing her face.

"Oh, hey," Danny let himself relax, dropping his attack and laying in the air like it was a hammock. "What's up?"

Valerie's brows furrowed at him, and she used her hoverboard to sit down and relax a bit on. "I came out here because there was a new ghost reading. Is that..."

Danny looked around him, cheeks flushing a little. "Oh, uh, yeah. That would be me..."

"And you did...?"

"Yep. All this."

"Wow," Valerie chuckled a little, sizing Danny up. "What the hell, Fenton?"

Danny shook his head a little, mentally adjusting to the fact that she'd just called him 'Fenton' while in ghost form. "New power, I guess," he answered tentatively, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily.

"Why do you do that?" Valerie asked, fiddling with her headpiece and taking it off in one swift movement.

"Do what?" Danny unconsciously watched as her hair cascaded in thick brown curls down her back. Valerie brushed her fingers through it, sighing in relief.

"That feels better..." she muttered to herself before turning her attention back to Danny. "No, you do this thing where you make yourself smaller. You don't have to do that anymore, y'know."

Danny gulped, smiling at Valerie. "You're right. Huh, I didn't think anyone else noticed stuff like that."

"Well," Valerie hoisted her curls into a messy bun, tying them with a hair tie. "I notice a lot, Fenton." Again, Danny flinched at his real name, causing Valerie to snicker a little.

"Hey!" Danny started laughing, jokingly sending a small ecto-blast past her. "Not cool."

"Maybe," Valerie shrugged, "but it sure is fun."

Danny sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and letting the sun kiss his cheeks. He missed Valerie. Hanging out with her was so easy, almost effortless. He loved Sam and Tucker, of course, but things could get so weird with them so quickly. With Valerie, things were just easier. They just slipped into a different type of rhythm.

"I'm sorry," Valerie interrupted the brief silence between the two, and Danny turned back to her again.

"Huh? For what?" Danny asked, sitting upright now and facing her completely. Valerie, on the other hand, was now turned away, her back to him.

"For...well you know! Everything!" her hands flailed a bit as she turned back around. She had tears in her eyes. "Sam is right. I tried to kill you."

"Hey—"

"I tried to kill you, like, a lot!" Valerie's hands shot to her hair, tugging at it before steadying her uneven breaths. "I could have killed you, Danny. Do you get that?"

Danny sat there for a few moments, looking down at his hands as he played with the electricity in his fingertips. "Does it make you feel any better if I told you I'm used to it?" he half joked, laughing dryly.

"No!" Valerie wailed now, her tear-stained voice hitting his ears suddenly. Danny looked back up, letting the sparks die. "That makes it worse. Like, so, _so_ much worse."

Danny cocked his head. "My parents are ghost hunters. Professionally, you know? They talk to me now, sure, but...not really. Not about anything real."

"I'm so sorry," Valerie's voice was a whisper now as she continued to sob.

"No, look, what I'm trying to tell you is that I forgave them," Danny said, floating over to Valerie. "I forgave them before they even apologized because they're good people who were trying to do good things."

"But I'm not," Valerie looked right at Danny now, who was just a few yards away.

"But you are!" Danny's voice was soft as he floated right next to her now, engulfing her in a tender hug. Right away, she tensed up, not moving. "You're a _good_ person."

Valerie slowly tightened her arms around Danny, sobbing into his embrace. Somehow, she felt like things should be the other way around. Why the hell was _he_ comforting _her_? She pulled away, backing up and looking down at her hands.

"You think I'm a good person?" Valerie asked gently.

"I know it," Danny reassured, smiling at her and bumping shoulders with her playfully. "Now, c'mon. First one to the park wins!"

And just like that, Danny vanished, leaving a frazzled Valerie sitting on her hover board. With a smirk, she shook herself out of her shock and stood up. "Oh, it's on, Ghost Boy!"

* * *

The next two weeks were the most normal weeks Danny had had in a while, which was a good break. Him Valerie were talking more, and had decided on an every other night patrolling schedule to make sure the ghost attacks didn't overwhelm them when they started again. Some nights, if one of them was feeling fidgety or couldn't sleep, they'd join the other on patrol, soaring over Amity Park in the cool night air.

Sam, on the other hand, hadn't talked to Danny much since their fight, and the fact that he was hanging out with Valerie again probably didn't help matters. He didn't know what to do to mend their relationship, which worried him. Ignoring Valerie would be a good start, but he needed their time together. It made him feel a little lighter when the world was heavy. That left Danny and Sam in a strange in between zone, not quite fighting but not totally ok.

"So...she still hasn't texted you?" Tucker asked, fiddling with one of Danny's space themed trinkets.

"Nope," Danny popped the 'p', sprawling out a little further on his bed. He huffed in unison with his new core, assessing it for the fifth time that day. He'd gotten into that habit after everything that had happened.

"Why don't you text her?" Tucker asked, setting the trinket back down and turning his full attention to Danny.

Danny sighed, avoiding Tucker's gaze. "I don't know what to say."

He was telling the truth — he really just didn't know what to say to her. She said she needed time to adjust. The words still stung deep down, but he couldn't figure out why. Of _course_ she needed time to adjust. It wasn't her fault everything was happening so fast. It just also wasn't Danny's fault. Of course he knew that if anything big happened, Sam would be there for him, but he was a little hesitant now to be open with her. Actually, he found he had a growing reluctance to being fully open with any of his friends, Valerie and Tucker included. Deep down, he knew why, though he'd never admit it. He didn't want to break them. He knew how bad all of this could hurt, so why would he pass that along to anyone else?

"You know you guys need to make up," Tucker said, shaking Danny from his thoughts. The halfa turned over, looking at Tucker with heavy eyes.

"How?"

"I..." Tucker started before trailing off, gaze distant. "I don't know. You're both so stubborn."

"Hey!" Danny teased, kicking his friend jokingly in the leg.

"What? It's true! Have you forgotten that either of you could start up a conversation at any point, but neither of you will?"

"Well, we'll talk during class sometimes," Danny thought back to the last two weeks and their idle chatter. His heart throbbed in his chest. He missed Sam, and he wanted her friendship back. Reaching for his phone, he opened up his text messages, eyes grazing Sam's contact information. "You're right. I'm gonna text her."

"There you go!" Tucker smiled, slapping Danny on the back heartily. The halfa grunted a bit, drawing his eyebrows together as he looked at his phone.

"What do I say?" he asked Tucker again, gnawing at his lip nervously.

"I don't know, something simple!" Tucker urged.

Danny nodded, looking down at his phone and typing out the word 'Hey' before sending it to Sam.

* * *

He didn't get a response until the next morning — a Saturday, so it was almost eleven by the time Danny woke up.

_Sam — hey, can we talk mby?_

Danny's heart drummed in his ears as he quickly typed out a reply. They decided on meeting at the Nasty Burger at one, and Danny took the extra time to shower and get ready, stealing a spritz or two of his dad's nice cologne.

Why was he so nervous? It was just Sam. Sam, his best friend. She was goofy and dorky and he didn't have anything to worry about. Needless to say, Danny was still very worried. By the time he arrived at the Nasty Burger, Sam was already there, sitting in a booth by herself and sipping on a milkshake.

"Hey," Danny slid into the booth across from her, smiling anxiously at him. "I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

"Oh, uh," Sam's cheeks flushed pink as she looked down at the table. "No, not at all. I just got here."

"Oh."

"Yep."

Silence drew on between them for a few seconds before Sam's eyes snapped up to Danny's, which had never left her.

"I'm sorry," she said, tears forming in her purple eyes.

"Huh? No, _I_ should be apologizing," Danny said hastily, fiddling with his fingers as he spoke.

"Why? I'm the one who..." Sam swallowed her words, shaking her head slowly. "Hell, Danny you have to know how horrible I feel."

"Why?"

"Because you just needed some time, too, didn't you?" she let a few tears fall, though today she wasn't wearing any eye makeup, so the droplets fell crystal clear.

Danny's throat felt dry. "I don't know what you—"

"I told you I just needed time. Or space. Or whatever I said, I don't even remember. But it was stupid," Sam smiled a little, reaching across the table and grabbing one of Danny's hands. "Things are happening so much faster to you. So much _more_. I was being selfish, and I'm sorry."

Danny swallowed hard, tears pooling in his eyes. He fought to keep them from falling, instead laughing a little. "I'm sorry, too. For not telling you about...you know..."

"Everything?" Sam finished for him, eliciting a small laugh. "It's ok. Just...let's not do this again, yeah?"

Danny squeezed Sam's hand, smiling. "We're ok?"

"Yeah," Sam smirked at him a little. "And about you and Valerie—"

Danny stiffened, clearing his throat. "What? We...we're really just friends, I swear. And we patrol together sometimes too. But that's all."

Sam laughed a little, shaking her head and smiling at Danny. "You don't know, do you?"

Danny states at her, completely oblivious. "Know what?"

"Valerie has a girlfriend. It's all over school, everyone's talking about it," Sam smiled, shaking her head. "'Casper High's first gay!' That's all Paulina can talk about. I have her as a lab partner in chem."

Danny smiled a little, thinking about Valerie. The last few days, she did seem exceptionally bubbly. "Wait, so that's why you're ok with us being friends now?"

Sam's smile faded a little. "I...shouldn't be so jealous. Even if she was still single, I should trust you. But if I'm being completely honest, the fact that she's dating someone does make me feel a little better."

Danny's smile widened a bit. He was happy his friend found someone. More than that, though, he couldn't help but think of ways to tease her the next time they patrolled together. This was going to be fun.

* * *

"Boo," Danny said, letting visibility wash over him in his spot next to Valerie. She yelled, nearly falling off her hover board before stabilizing herself.

"Danny! Not funny!" Valerie scolded him, laughing a little at Danny's goofy expression. "What's got you in such a good mood, huh?"

"Sam and I made up," Danny twirled through the brisk night sky, letting his ice core activate for a moment to make a light sprinkle of snow just above his head.

"That's great! I'm so glad!" Valerie smiled widely at him, watching as he swam through the sky with a laugh on his lips.

"She also had some interesting news, you know," Danny swiveled to look at her again, brows moving up and down in a suggestive manner.

"Oh?" Valerie's laugh was fresh on her lips as she watched her friend look at her. "And what's that silly look for?"

"Oh, I don't know," Danny feigned boredom before intensifying his gaze. "Maybe you should ask your girlfriend."

Valerie froze before her hands flew to her mask covered face. She clawed the mask off, staring at Danny in shock for a moment before a small smile played on her lips.

"That literally just happened yesterday! How does Sam know about that?" Valerie's excitement was leaking through her words, despite the slight annoyance in her tone.

"Paulina's freaking out about Casper High's 'first gay'," Danny explained, grimacing as he spoke the popular girl's words. "Wow she is really not a good person."

"No, she's not," Valerie smiled dreamily, "but Meg is."

"Meg?" Danny flew closer to his friend, his spectral tail wrapping halfway around her. "Tell me everything."

And Valerie did. Apparently Meg was a co-worker at the Nasty Burger. Restaurant side — Valerie felt the need to point this out more than once, describing how cute her girlfriend got after a long shift, all covered in grease and sweat. It didn't sound all that cute to Danny, but he let Valerie ramble on anyways. They first started hanging out because Meg was some sort of computer science whiz, and Valerie needed help in stats. Just the day prior, they finally made it official after weeks of flirting and hanging out.

"And she's just..." Valerie finished her last tangent, drifting off and staring up at the stars. "Danny, she's really great. I don't want to mess this up."

Danny nodded, glad to hear that his friend was happy. "She knows about your, uh, extracurricular activities?"

Valerie closed her eyes, shaking her head before turning back to Danny. "No. I don't know...I want to tell her, but..."

The two shared a long glance, a mutual understanding developing between them. Ghost fighting was dangerous work. Involving anyone in it meant they would be in danger, too.

"You have to tell her," Danny said despite this fact. "If you want it to be real, then she has to know the real you."

"I know," Valerie sighed. "I just...I will, but later."

Danny nodded. "I'm not gonna tell you what to do. I'm just letting you know."

"You and Sam made it," Valerie pointed out, like she was trying to win an argument.

"And she knew my secret," Danny said, brows furrowing as his thoughts tugged at him. "She was there."

Valerie sat straight up on her hover board, looking at Danny with sad eyes. "She was?"

Danny nodded slowly, his ice core throbbing at the memory. He looked up at the stars, closing his eyes as electrical whirring noises filled his head. "Sam and Tucker were both there."

"Oh," Valerie's voice was quiet. "I'm sorry."

Danny's mouth tasted like the accident again. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up. "Not your fault."

"Still, though, I just—"

Danny's eyes snapped open, his attention turning to her with so much intensity, she stopped speaking. "You just nothing. You're not sorry, you don't understand, and no, there's nothing you can do to help."

Valerie nodded slowly, fiddling with her discarded mask. "It was that bad?"

Danny reached for his chest instinctively. He wanted to scream. "Yeah. It was that bad."

Valerie dropped the topic after that, and the two of them finished up patrolling for the night. Valerie promised Danny would get to meet Meg soon, and he told her he'd hold her to that. He was quick to put on a happy face, but his icy core still hurt from Valerie's questioning. He had a hard time falling asleep that night, and for the first time in two weeks, he couldn't just patrol to forget about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Soooooo...lgbt Valerie? Lemme tell you, she’s not the last character I get my grubby little head canon fingers on, please tell me what you think!
> 
> I’m up to four reviews/comments!! Thank you all, seriously any sort of feedback means so so much to me :)
> 
> Next few chapters start heating up, so get ready...
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	8. Flirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of character? Maybe a little. But get ready to start hating Paulina a little less ;)

**Flirt**

* * *

"Danny, hey!" Paulina's voice called out over the crowded hallway, and Danny found himself groaning at the sound.

"She's still not taking the hint, huh?" Sam asked, chuckling lightly as Danny's face twisted into a scowl.

"I can't believe I ever had a crush on her," Danny complained, and Sam ruffled his hair.

"Be nice, ok?" she chided.

"Why?" Danny laughed, looking around to see that Paulina was still making her way over to him. "She's not nice to anyone, you know."

"Oh, I know, trust me," Sam chuckled. "But still, hasn't she seemed a little off lately?"

Danny studied the bobbing brown hair in the crowd as she drew closer. "Hmm, nope! Still a bitch!"

"Hey! You don't get to use that word," Sam elbowed him.

"Right. Feminism. Sorry, I forgot for a second," Danny joked back, earning a playful slap from Sam.

"Hey Danny," Paulina was right next to them now, causing Danny to tense up a bit.

"Oh, hey Paulina," Danny said gently, watching from the corner of his eye as Sam snickered a little.

"Can I, like, talk to you for a sec?" Paulina asked, smiling brightly at him. If he didn't have a sharp eye from patrolling, he might have missed the nervous energy pouring off of her. "In, like, private?"

Danny looked over at Sam, who's expression held the slightest bit of concern. "Uh, sure," Danny said, turning back to Paulina and letting her lead them out of the building and around the side of the school. "What's the matter?"

Paulina dropped the facade, her hands shaking and eyes darting. "Oh no no no. Oh this is bad. This is really bad."

"Woah!" Danny placed a hand on her shoulder, making the popular girl jump and hiccup softly. "Sorry," he lifted his hand, "um, what's going on?"

Paulina did the last thing he expected her to do at that point. She started crying. _Sobbing_ , actually. "He's going to find her and you can't let him. Promise- _promise_ me you won't let him."

Danny's heart shattered. He had no idea what Paulina was talking about, but she sounded absolutely petrified. "Ok, you need to take a deep breath with me, alright?"

"I can't- I can't breathe," Paulina put her hands to her chest, staring right at Danny.

"Ok, yes, you're ok," Danny grabbed her hands, squeezing her fingertips and watching her focus readjust on his face. "Breathe in and out with me. You can do that, right?"

"I- I can do that," Paulina agreed, inhaling and exhaling in sync with Danny.

"Good. Deep breaths. Just like that," Danny was still holding her hands, watching as her breath slowed and her eyes started focusing again. After another minute, she calmed down enough to talk, both her and Danny sitting down on the grass. "What's going on? Who is 'he'?" Danny asked softly, watching as Paulina's chest rose and fell with effort.

"My ex-boyfriend," Paulina's lips quivered as she spoke. "His name is Ian, and he's a football player at a college a few towns over," she laughed at that, shaking her head. "I thought that was so cool. This older guy. And a football player. I can't believe this..."

Danny looked at Paulina as her chest sank, her eyes closing as she took a deep breath. "It's ok," Danny reassured, causing her eyes to open back up to him. "Who's 'she'?"

Paulina cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

"You said he'd find her. Who is she?" Danny explained, watching as Paulina's cheeks flushed pink.

"Oh. I can't believe I said that. I meant me. Don't let him find _me_ ," Paulina giggled nervously, fiddling with her hair.

Danny's brows furrowed, and he looked at her with a bit more intensity. "Paulina, I need you to tell me the truth. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, but I need to know who he's after."

Paulina shook her head instinctively, hands shooting to her mouth, like she was trying to keep the words from leaving her lips. "I can't."

"You have to," Danny insisted, taking a deep breath and softening his gaze. "Please."

Paulina let her hands drop to her lap, biting her lips before nodding and looking at the ground. "It's Star. She...we..."

Danny watched as Paulina wiped under her eyes, looking up at the sky and muttering a few words to herself in Spanish. "Sorry. This is stupid," she huffed, laughing a bit and turning her gaze back to the grass.

"No, it's not," Danny said, effectively drawing her gaze back to him. "So he's after Star? Why?"

Paulina looked right at Danny, right into his eyes, and he really saw her for the first time. Not the popular, confident, perfect girl she told everyone she was. He really saw her, and it felt like someone was twisting his heart. She was petrified, struggling to stay afloat, putting on a facade of perfection to keep herself from drowning. She'd been hurt, Danny realized. He let out a quick puff of air he didn't know he'd been holding.

"She kissed me."

Danny's breath fell, blinking a few times to make sure he'd really just heard her right. "Star...kissed you?" The words tasted confusing as he repeated them to the popular teen.

"I...should've seen it coming," Paulina looked down now, absentmindedly braiding a strand of hair. "We've been friends since forever, but lately things have been different with her. She..." Paulina laughed, a puff of breath so small Danny might have missed it if not for his enhanced senses. "She came out to me a few weeks ago. I guess I didn't believe her until I caught her with this one girl a week ago in the locker room."

Danny laughed awkwardly, feeling like he was invading Star's life by listening. Paulina looked at him with red eyes, snorting a little in a sort of ugly laugh before gasping and covering her mouth. Danny gasped, smiling at her jokingly. "You snort when you laugh?"

"I do not!" Paulina whined, unsuccessfully trying to keep a smile off her face. "And that's not important, anyway!"

" _Definitely_ important," Danny teased again, earning one more joking scowl thrown into his direction.

"Anyway," she sighed, "a few days ago, Star and I were hanging out at my place and...I don't know, things just happened so fast and all the sudden Ian was there," Paulina rambled, biting her lip at the end. "He's a scary guy, you know? Has a bunch of guns and I just...he was so angry, Danny," she looked right in his eyes when she said that, voice low. "I've never seen someone that angry. He told me he'd kill her."

Danny nodded at her, his mind instinctively going to his evil alternate future self. Hearing someone say things like that...it left a mark. He still sometimes woke up in a cold sweat, the promise echoing between his pounding ears.

"I won't let that happen," Danny decided, watching as relief washed over Paulina's tear stained features.

"Thank you," she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath and hastily dragging her fingers over her makeup. "We should get to class. You don't need anymore tardies, right Ghost Boy?"

Danny smiled, lifting himself to the ground effortlessly and helping her up. "Eh, what's one more tardy. I'll just tell them I was helping a friend."

* * *

Ian didn't attack Star. Danny added both her Paulina to his patrol, checking to make sure they were alright a few times a day. Two weeks passed before he decided they were probably in the clear, especially since Paulina told him she hadn't talked to Ian at all. He was relieved, to say the least. The last thing he needed was some creep pulling out a gun against him. While Danny was trained to evade ecto-weapons, he couldn't say the same for regular guns.

That would be something else to work on in training, Danny thought to himself absently as he entered Casper High again. Sam wasn't with him — the entire Latin club, all seven of them, had gone on a school approved field trip that day. That meant Danny was on his own.

"Hi Ghost Boy," Paulina popped up on one side of him, making him jump just a bit.

"Oh, hey," Danny waved awkwardly.

"Jeez, no need to be so stiff. I'm not gonna attack you," Paulina giggled lightly, shaking her head just a bit. Danny nodded, straightening up a bit more. In all honesty, he was stuck in his old ways of being awkward Danny Fenton by default. "So what, no Sam today?"

"No, Latin club," Danny explained, stopping by his locker and smiling to himself when Paulina stopped with him. Maybe he really wasn't alone today.

"Latin club? No no, poor Sam. That's no way to climb the social latter!" Paulina screeched, and Danny had to keep himself from covering his ears. She noticed, drawing back a bit. "Too much?"

"Maybe a little," Danny chuckled, grabbing his books and closing his locker. To his surprise, Valerie was behind it, smiling at him with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Hey Fenton, long time no—" Valerie started, cutting herself off upon realizing Danny wasn't alone. "Oh. Paulina."

"Valerie!" Paulina smiled, waving with feigned enthusiasm. Danny studied her, watching as she plastered on a smile he knew was fake. "Long time no see. How's your dad doing, by the way?"

Valerie's hands dropped to her sides, clenching into tight fists. "You little—!"

"Hey!" Danny stepped further between them, putting his hands up and watching as both girls lurched forward a bit.

"She started it!" Valerie pointed, face reddening when Paulina stomped her foot.

"That is not true! Danny, tell her!" Paulina demanded, effectively causing a small scene in the crowded hallway.

"Calm down, and shut up," Danny lowered his tone, watching as both his friends took a small step back. "Can you guy both _please_ chill?"

Valerie was the first to speak, her tone still angry, but her voice quieter. "She told the entire school about Meg. And you know damn well she's shitting on me for not being rich."

Danny froze. He'd forgotten about that. After seeing such a vulnerable side of Paulina, he sometimes forgot how evil she could be. "Yeah. She did," Danny sent Paulina a small shake of the head, sighing as she deflated a bit. "But just...take it easy, ok?"

"Why?" Paulina asked, shocking both Danny and Valerie. "No, Val is right—"

"—Don't call me that—"

"—I don't deserve to take it easy. You should beat me up, or shoot me with one of your ghost laser thingies—"

"—Ecto-blaster—"

"—because I really...I really am mean."

The three of them stood in relative silence for a few moments, the chatter of the hallway taunting the air around them. "It's fine," Valerie said, breaking the silence as she looked right at Paulina.

"Huh?" Paulina asked, a gasp falling off her lips.

"It's fine, ok?" Valerie said, looking at Danny for a moment. As soon as their eyes met, he knew that she'd seen that same vulnerability in Paulina. She turned back, a small smile playing on her lips. "I was actually just going to ask Danny if he wanted to grab lunch. Wanna come?"

Paulina smiled softly, biting her lip a little before nodding. "Ok, but I'm buying because I have to spend the rest of my allowance for the month, ok?"

Danny laughed, followed shortly by Valerie who turned to him with a smirk. "Yeah, I'm fine with that."

* * *

"Who's that?" Tucker asked, watching as Danny fished his phone from his backpack on the floor. The two teens were studying on Tucker's bed, some old movie playing on his TV.

"Oh, Paulina," Danny said, chuckling as he opened up a text from her. It was a cheesy pun, the kind Phantom usually yelled in the heat of battle.

"Paulina? You guys are...talking?" Tucker asked slowly, setting his notebook aside and muting the TV. "Ok, tell me what happened."

"Oh," Danny put his phone away after responding to his new friend. "I don't know, she had this ex-boyfriend who threatened her and Star, so I added them to my patrol for a while."

"Well, sure, but since when does that make you friends?" Tucker asked with a snort, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It just sort of happened," Danny shrugged. "I don't know, she just finds puns and she'll send me some."

"Puns? Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think she's flirting with you."

"Well, she's not," Danny said quickly. "We're just friends."

"Oh yeah? Then how does Sam feel about you being friends?"

Danny paused at that, pursing his lips. "She doesn't exactly..."

"..Know?"

"It hasn't come up," Danny grumbled, his face red as realization washed over him. "I have to tell her, Tuck! She's gonna kill me, I didn't even think about it!"

"Woah," Tucker laughed, stopping Danny's mild growing panic. "I'm just messing with you. She trusts you, you know."

Danny nodded slowly, letting himself relax. "Yeah, I guess. I'd tell her tonight but the Latin club is having an after party I guess."

"Latin club? After party?" Tucker asked, shaking his head a bit. "Wow, she's something."

"Yeah..." Danny smiled, thinking of Sam. "She is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I know, second newly LGBT character in two chapters. These are head cannons I’ve had for years, and I really wanted to use them to create a deeper character. That being said, what does everyone think?
> 
> Thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, following, leaving kudos, and for generally being amazing!
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	9. Battle Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand here comes the main conflict :) enjoy!

**Battle Ready**

* * *

For whatever reason, Danny let himself get lulled into a false sense of safety. He didn't think much of it; after all, it had been a month since his core had needed healing. Things at school were going remarkably well — Paulina and Valerie had been getting along well enough, and surprisingly, Sam jumped right in, finding the group amusing.

"Look, I was being a jealous weirdo before," Sam explained when Danny brought it up one day. "I trust you, so I need you to trust me, too."

"You weren't being a weirdo," Danny kissed Sam on the top of her head, something he'd recently been able to do thanks to a small growth spurt.

"Well, I was being jealous, at least," Sam chuckled. "But I'm good now, and Paulina is actually...a lot cooler than I expected."

Sam was right about that. Apparently she was one of those spoiled kids who didn't know how to interact with her classmates. Upon breaking down her walls a bit, Danny was able to see that she was actually desperately searching for acceptance. Sam could relate, as she told him about how she used to be like that in middle school, before they met or really talked.

As Danny trained his new core, he started incorporating his friends into his sessions. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Valerie came to the first few, resulting in a sort of group hangout environment while Danny focused. He felt content, and his core felt better and better with each session.

One day, when the teens were on their way to an after school training (and study) session, Paulina caught them, Star right on her trail.

"Hey Ghost Boy," she smiled as Danny flushed at the nickname, still not totally used to Paulina's bubbly nature.

"Hey, what's up?" Danny asked, making himself relax. He was getting better, but still needed the reminder.

"Well, Star and I saw you all going somewhere together and, like, what the hell?" Paulina smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I thought we were friends. Aren't you going to invite us?"

Danny tensed, laughing nervously last he looked at his friends and sister. "Um, we're not really hanging out, we're just training. Oh, and Valerie and Jazz might study."

"So, you're hanging out and...training..." Paulina trailed off, realization washing over her features. "Training your ghost powers?! That's, like, so totally cool! Can we please come along?"

Star flushed a little from behind her friend as Danny's gaze shifted to her. She waved uneasily, shifting from foot to foot as she turned her gaze back to Paulina. Danny didn't know how to feel about her yet, but her and Paulina were best friends — maybe even more, for all Danny knew. Paulina wasn't exactly very open about her own life, and Danny never felt the need to push her. He decided, with a smirk, that now might be a good time to find out more about her.

"What do you guys think?" Danny turned and asked, the only person truly surprised being Jazz. She looked around like she was missing something before sighing and shaking her head in resignation.

"Sure, sounds fun," Sam smiled, her eyes twinkling in curiosity. Danny didn't need to talk to her to know that she was excited to see how everyone got along, though she was a little too mischievous for Danny's taste.

"Let's go, then," Danny smiled, motioning for them to follow him as he led the group to the forest the group had grown accustomed to training in. Upon finding it, everyone set their bags down, sans Paulina and Star, who took a few minutes to look around at the various burn marks.

"Wow, you really... _train_ , don't you?" Star asked gently, rubbing her fingertips across a dark green scorch mark.

"Well, yeah," Danny responded with a nervous laugh, watching as Star smiled a little at him. "Did Paulina drag you along to this? Because if she did, I'm sorry, and I won't be offended if you'd wanna leave."

"Oh, no!" Star brought her hands to her face, frantically speaking with them. "I actually really wanted to come and see what you guys do, and then you mentioned training, and I just..." she trailed off, eyes traveling to the ground. "It's so cool. I'm sorry if I ever...I don't know, teased you? Or picked on you, I guess."

Danny's eyes widened in realization, biting back a chuckle. Star noticed, whipping her head back up to him with a look of confusion. "Oh," Danny said, shaking his head, "it's ok. I swear. You were always actually pretty nice in comparison. Well ok, maybe not _nice_ , but not mean, really. It's ok, no worries."

Star looked at him for a few moments before smiling and shaking her head a bit. "Wow, you're weird, you know?"

"Oh?" Danny asked, head cocking to the side.

"Yeah, I mean," Star huffed, looking around as if searching for the right words. "I don't know, you seem like this big mystery all the sudden, Ghost Boy back from saving the world and all. But you're just a normal kid, aren't you?"

Danny chuckled a bit. "Well, just as normal as you or Valerie or Paulina I guess. Nobody's really normal at the end of the day, are they?"

It was Star's then to tilt her head, a smile playing on her lips. "I like you, Fenton."

Danny nodded at the use of his last name, opening his mouth to say something else before Paulina butted in, wrapping her arms around Star's arms and putting her head on her left shoulder.

"Hey, your girlfriend wants to start training," Paulina told Danny, side-eyeing Star as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Yeah, ok," Danny smiled at the two, turning away with a small wave.

Sam helped Danny take a few measurements for his core. He'd found that Sam was the only one who could run the tests without his electric core crying out in pain. After everything came back normal, they ran through Danny's training exercises. Paulina and Star watched in awe while Jazz, Tucker, and Valerie all helped each other with various homework assignments.

After about three hours, Danny floated down to the ground, exhausted. He let his transformation drop, stumbling a bit as his core poked at him.

"Woah there, you ok?" Sam asked, catching Danny before he stumbled right into a fallen tree trunk. He looked over at her, his right hand on his chest.

"I..." Danny's brows furrowed, a familiar feeling washing over him. He remembered it from when he'd fought the Siren, a sense of intuition humming against the back of his neck. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Sam paled, her voice shaking as she spoke.

"No, not with me, just..." Danny thought of how to explain it. "Like intuition. I don't...maybe it's new, but it feels like—"

Danny was cut off by a sharp stabbing in his chest. He lurched further into Sam's arms, causing the other teens to focus on them.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jazz asked, rushing over to them and looking between Sam and Danny. "Danny, are you hurt again?"

" _Again_?" Paulina asked, her hand flying to Star's as if it was an instinct. "Holy shit, are you ok?"

"Something's coming," Danny gasped, standing up by himself and transforming into his ghost form effortlessly. He flew a few yards off the ground, looking around as if daring something to attack.

"Phantom!" Valerie called from ground, though the halfa didn't pay her any attention. A moment later, she was next to him on her hover board, grabbing his arm.

"Get back, Valerie," Danny spared her an intense glance, his core still crying out feverishly in his chest.

"What's going on?" she asked, her usually hardened gaze cracked. "Are you ok? What are you talking about?"

Danny brought his hand back to his chest, grunting a bit as it shocked his fingertips. "New power, I think. I don't know, but something's wrong! Get back down to the ground!"

"What is it? Please, I can help!" Valerie tried to grab Danny's arm again, but this time her hand just slipped through him.

"I'm sorry," Danny breathed as he swiftly grabbed Valerie's feet, letting a bit of ice travel through his fingertips and encase her ankles. With an angry scream, she fell to the ground, leaving Danny by himself in the air.

"Come on," Danny spat the words, turning around in the air. His core was howling now. It was _close_. "Where are you!"

" _Oh, me_?"

Danny's heart skittered to a stop. He knew that voice. A gruesome green-grey mist filled the air, creating a barrier between him and his friends. Danny stayed still in the air. He knew what that thing had come for. His core was on fire.

"Long time no see," the voice was coming from behind him. "Aren't you going to say hello?"

Danny turned slowly, his fighting stance strengthening itself as he did so. His eyes met his evil future self's smirk. He'd gotten loose, and of course, he'd come to find Danny.

"What are you doing here?" Danny's snarl sparked, his hair and eyebrows glowing with electricity.

"Someone's a little..." Dan glowered, " _sparky_."

Danny clenched his fist, rearing up to send an attack before something caught his hand. He turned back, finding one of Dan's clones behind him. "Let go!" He let loose another burst of power from the fist he was holding, but Dan didn't even flinch.

"I heard you learned a new trick," Dan scowled. "I have too."

Danny stiffened, fear coursing through his veins. Dan smiled, squeezing the halfa's fist tighter as he watched fear etch his face.

"You like it? I call it my Panic Attack. It's got quite the ring to it, don't you think?" Dan's voice was smooth as molasses as Danny's vision flashed in and out, his senses firing as pure terror overcame him. Suddenly, there was another Dan right next to him, then another, leaving three clones hovering over over him. The other two reached out, grabbing onto Danny and intensifying the attack.

Danny screamed out in pain and panic and dread and the feeling of constriction, all over his body and lungs and mind. Everything was on fire when both his cores cried out in tandem, a surge of energy washing over his skin. He felt all three Dans pull back for just a moment, which was all Danny needed to duck away. They collapsed into one ghost, looking around with menacing glimmer in his eye.

"Huh. I underestimated you," Dan said into the air, still not spotting Danny from his place of invisibility above the monster. "It's a good thing I didn't need to kill you yet. I was just dropping by on my way. But don't worry, I'll be back soon enough."

With that, Dan twirled into the mist. It swept around him before funneling straight up. Danny had to lunge out of the way to avoid getting hit, gasping in his breaths as he looked at the skull left as the rest of the mist dissipated. Waiting for the remnants to float away, he worked to steady his breath, failing with each attempt. He could still feel the phantom of Dan's hands on him, injecting him with pure terror. Black spots danced in his vision, his flight giving out as he plummeted towards the ground.

The last thing Danny remembered before losing consciousness was twisting to see Sam's horrified expression. Then, there was a sickening _crack_ , and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I’m so excited for the upcoming chapters, y’all :) Dan’s return has been the main conflict since I came up with this idea, and his presence just makes things more and more twisted
> 
> Also! Thank you so so much to those of you who leave comments! It honestly means the world to me, and it’s great inspiration to keep writing
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	10. Previous Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up, y’all. Angst only from this point on!

**Previous Recovery**

* * *

The first sensation Danny felt as he woke up was terror, gripping every one of his nerves and twisting. He had to bite back a scream, instead whimpering as his eyes fluttered open. Standing over him was, strangely enough, Star. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying, and her blonde hair had been thrown up in a messy bun.

"He-" Star started upon seeing Danny open his eyes, her own opening wider in surprise. "He's awake! Come over!"

Danny tried to sit up, and Star lurched forward to help him, grabbing him by the elbow and behind his back. "Thanks," he grunted, taking a few shaky breaths as he tried to soothe his aching bones.

Sam was the next person to enter his vision, followed by Jazz, Tucker, Valerie, and Paulina. They all eyed him like a hurt animal. Danny did _not_ like that.

"What happened up there?" Sam asked gently, grabbing Danny's arms and kneeling in front of him. "I mean, you jump up there for no reason and then there's this...fog? I don't know, but something happened. And you screamed and you—"

Sam cut herself off, eyes widening as she examined Danny. "What?" he croaked a little, his voice hoarse from screaming. "What's wrong?"

"There was a crack!" Sam hissed to herself, her eyes scanning Danny furiously. "What broke? What happened?"

Danny froze, assessing his body mentally. After months of training and sustaining different injuries, he'd gotten pretty good at reading his body. At that moment, though, he didn't feel anything that was broken. Actually, he couldn't find anything that would have cracked.

With a confused shudder, Danny placed a hand over his chest where his cores sat, immediately regretting the motion. His entire body flooded itself with pain, panic rising into his throat. This wasn't his new core — that one was actually close to fully healed at this point in his training. No, this was his old core, his first core.

"Woah, um," Star was the first to say anything as Danny lurched forward into Sam's body. Sam held on and steadied her boyfriend, pulling him down into a laying position with his head on her lap.

"What's the matter with him?" Paulina asked now, watching with horrified eyes.

Sam looked down at Danny, his eyes staring right at her, as if studying her. With a sharp wince, he tensed, holding in a scream. The blue of his eyes swirled a bit, sucking green in from the edges to the center until no more blue remained.

"D- Danny," Sam gasped, her heart twisting as she watched him carefully. "What- what's going on?"

Danny shook his head, his hair tinging silvery white starting in his roots. As she watched, the glowing white hair climbed the rest of his head until who appeared to be Danny Phantom was lying in Danny Fenton's clothes.

"My—" Danny winced when he spoke, "—core."

Sam's expression dripped with horror as she looked down to his chest. "Again?"

Danny chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head out of pure habit. "Not that one."

Sam's expression softened, her eyes traveling back to his. "From...the...?"

"Yeah," Danny wheezed, crying now against his will. His core just hurt so _bad_.

"Oh," Sam was crying now, too. She turned back, locking eyes with Tucker as a mutual understanding passed between them. He walked closer, kneeling next to Sam and Danny.

"Buddy, what—" Tucker started asking Danny.

"His core, the first one," Sam stepped in, knowing it was painful, for whatever reason, for Danny to speak. He sent her a grateful nod.

Tucker tensed, looking at his two friends before focusing on Danny. "Ok, what do you need? What needs to happen?"

Danny let his hand press back into his chest, sighing in relief as the pain was mildly more bearable. Closing his eyes, he examined his ice core, opening his eyes and smiling upon his realization.

"What?" Sam's voice was hardly a whisper.

"It's not damaged," Danny sighed, taking his hand from his chest.

The moment he did, his world tilted on its side, colors dripping away until silver, green, and black blurs remained. He blinked his eyes, the image of his parents' portal coming into view. He was walking into it, having just zipped up his white and black jumpsuit. Nothing. There was nothing.

And then, Danny tripped, wires snaking around his feet and tying him to a new fate. He fell against the 'On / Off' button, fingers pushing into it with a solid _click_.

 _It's funny_ , Danny thought sometimes, _that the pain didn't hit my fingers, the things that did it, first_. It hit his body all at once before anything else. If he could be more specific, he would, but in all honesty, the pain lashed and gripped every inch of his body in a horrifyingly indescribable manner.

Next came his mind, dropping him into unconsciousness for what felt like hours. By the time he finally woke up, he was stumbling out of the portal, skin and face and eyes stinging feverishly.

"Danny!" Sam called out, and he fell into her arms. Correction — he fell _through_ her arms. "Wake up, it's ok."

Danny blinked hard, looking at Sam with big eyes. "They're coming." His eyes darted to a stairs that wasn't there. Instead, he caught Tucker's worried face.

"We're here," Tucker assured. "We were training. Your core? Is it...?"

Danny gasped, cold water washing over his senses. He looked down at himself, realizing he wasn't wet, he was just coming out of... _something_. He jumped away from the people around him, floating in the air.

"I'm fine," Danny chuckled as if nothing had happened. "Just swelling, I think."

"But—" Jazz cut in.

"I think," Danny's tone was tense, his eyes darting between Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, "we should get everyone home. We need to talk about something."

Jazz shut her mouth, nodding. "Yeah, um, Sam and Tuck, do you guys need a ride?"

"Sure," Sam answered for both of them, looping her arm through Tucker's and chasing after Jazz, who was already running towards where she was parked.

"Danny," Valerie called out before the halfa could fly away. "What's going on."

Danny hesitated, looking down at Star and Paulina. They were all standing so close, but Valerie had to know.

"You can't tell anyone else," Danny's tone took on a dangerous edge, "but there's an emergency. We need to get everyone inside and safe, _now_."

* * *

Valerie took Star and Paulina back to Paulina's house, deciding it would be smarter to get everyone inside as soon as possible. Danny flew back to the car, finding his friends and his sister just finally making their way towards it.

"Tucker!" Danny flew right next to his best friend, making him jump out of his skin.

"Dude, woah, you scared me—" Tucker said with a deep breath upon realizing it was just Danny.

"He's back," Danny breathed the words like they might break.

"Who—" Jazz asked, eyes widening. She already knew; she just didn't want it to be true.

"You know," Danny spat, landing on the ground and leaning against the car for support. His chest was still throbbing wildly.

"You're hurt," Sam said, eyes wide and full of tears. Danny didn't have the strength to deny it. She walked towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding on tight.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why he's here. I don't know what he wants," Danny explained to everyone as Sam began to shudder into his side. "I couldn't...I couldn't stop him this time..." Danny's fist tightened, his ice core screaming at him wildly. "I can't..."

"I'm calling the mayor's office now," Tucker opened his phone and ran off, talking hurriedly as Danny blinked slowly, his mind shuddering against itself.

"You're not doing this alone," Jazz affirmed, wiping tears from her face and giving a small nod. "I'm calling mom and dad. We're going to get everyone inside, _now_ ," she shot Tucker a glance as she said this. He nodded at her, finishing his call and dialing the next number.

Sam straightened up against Danny's side now, pulling herself away and looking at him. His eyes moved down to the ground, body beginning to shake.

"What did Dan do to you?" Sam asked gently, her eyes running over Danny's shuddering frame.

He had to keep himself from laughing for a moment. _Dan_. That's the name they'd come up with for Danny's evil alternate future self. Dan sounded like someone's uncle, not that monster. The name had stuck, though.

"He—" Danny choked on his words. "New attack."

"What," Sam's tone was so pointed it made Danny look back up to her, "did he do to you?"

"He called it a Panic Attack," his scratchy chuckle was devoid of humor. "It really felt like one."

"Panic attacks...you're having them again?" Sam asked gently. After the first accident, Sam had helped him through a few. She knew how to deal with them from first hand experience.

"No, not really. But he..." Danny sucked in his breath as his core throbbed again. "It's different. It's like he's reaching out and twisting my core. Nothing broke this time, but..."

"He's not going to use that on you ever again," Sam stated, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Taking a step away, she looked over to Jazz. "Let's go. That asshole is going to pay if it's the last thing I do."

* * *

Thanks to Tucker's contacts in the mayor's office, the news spread quick enough. Jazz drove Danny, Sam, and Tucker back to Fenton Works, pulling into the driveway just as his parents did.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're ok," Maddie pulled her son into a tight hug. "Let's get inside, then you're explaining everything."

Danny stiffened in his mother's embrace. He didn't know if he could explain. "Ok."

Danny felt a little numb as he sat down on the couch. Sam sat next to him, grabbing his hand and watching his parent settle around them. "What's going on? Which ghost did this?" Jack's voice boomed, Danny flinching a bit at the mention of ghosts.

"He isn't really, well he is, he's uh..." Danny stammered until his voice faded out. He looked to Sam and Jazz for support. Tucker was on the phone in the kitchen.

"What is it? What's going on?" Maddie asked in a hushed tone. "You can tell us, I promise."

And so Danny told his parents about his almost future. He couldn't help but flinch at the disappointment in their eyes when he told them about almost cheating on the CAT test. He cried when he explained everyone's almost death, though he was quick to wipe the tears before they could fall.

"Clockwork took him from there," Danny's voice was small and empty as he spoke. "He must have escaped."

Nobody spoke, but Tucker's conversation wafted in from the kitchen.

"No, _now_!" he yelled, making Danny jump a little.

"Danny—" Maddie started, stopping when she saw him jump again. "Sweetie, that monster is nothing like you."

Danny had heard his friends and sister say the same thing a hundred times. Usually it made him feel a little better, but hearing it from his mom made his already bruised core twist in agony.

"Why?" he snapped, his skin frosting over. Sam yelped, pulling away. "Because he's a _ghost_?"

Maddie looked confused. She turned back to Jack, who shared her expression. "Well, for one thing, yes."

Sam tensed next to Danny as ice crystals fell from his hair and clothes. They melted before they could touch the ground. "Ok, so you need to _not_ say that," she hissed.

Maddie cocked her head to the side, watching the two for a moment before looking over to Jazz. She stared at her parents with wide eyes, disbelief painting her face. "What did I say?" Maddie's voice was too sincere.

Tucker walked into the living room, unaware of the conversation. "They're sending out an emergency message. Sirens should be starting any second. We need to get as many weapons to the police as we can."

Danny nodded numbly, rubbing at his chest. His icy core hissed at him like a cat. It pleaded for Danny to attack his parents. "Let's go," he got up, shaking the ice from his hair.

"Hey, no, we need to talk about—" Sam started, red faced as she stood up.

"Talk about what?" Danny cut her off, rubbing the emotion from his eyes. He looked back to his parents, closing them for a moment before letting out a puff of air. "They've made it pretty clear how they feel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I’m so so beyond excited to see what everyone thinks of what’s to come! I didn’t originally know where I wanted to take this story, but it came to me the other day and I’m so excited!!!
> 
> Also! It occurred to me that a some of y’all probably use tumblr, so if you like dorky content and a few shit posts (as a treat) then follow me here! http://love-ly-ish.tumblr.com/ :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	11. Snap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet a...let’s call him a new character :D
> 
> *Trigger warning - Dissociation*

**Snap**

* * *

Danny didn't realize it at the time, but Sam and Jazz created a sort of barricade between him and the elder Fentons. Their hushed whispers fell deaf to his ears as he listened to Tucker speak.

"He didn't say where he was going? What he was doing?" Tucker asked, typing furiously on his PDA.

"No, he just said he was going somewhere, and that he'd be back," Danny explained quickly, chest twisting in pain.

"And you don't know—"

"No, I don't know anything!" Danny was yelling now, fingers tugging at his hair. Tucker stopped next to him, now in the middle of the lab. "He didn't say anything except that he didn't want me dead. Oh, yet! Did I forget the yet?"

"Everyone's inside and safe. This is going to be ok," Tucker's voice had a murderous edge to it. "That asshole is _not_ going to win."

"That asshole," Danny untangled his shaking fingers, his hands instinctively shooting to his still aching chest, "is...was going to be..."

"Danny—" Sam's voice was soft from behind him. He doesn't remember hearing it.

"...this is all fault..." Danny's tongue tasted like metal and battery acid. "I should have stopped him when I had the chance."

Jazz reached out and grabbed her brother's shoulder. He looked up at her like a wounded animal. "You didn't create him. Vlad did. You had nothing to do with the evil that thing is."

Danny's icy core screamed out, and Jazz cussed lightly under her breath as she pulled her hand away. "He almost killed you," Danny's growl was inhuman. "He almost killed all of you!" he yelled, voice echoing off the metal walls.

"Son—" Jack's voice hit him first.

"Fucking shut up," Danny growled at his father, eyes burning dangerously. "You don't know _anything_."

"Daniel James Fenton, you do _not_ talk to your father like that," Maddie's tone was low, though Danny could hear it shaking. He laughed bitterly, floating off the ground without meaning to.

"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore," Danny wasn't speaking anymore. He couldn't tell if it was his ice or electric core. Maybe it was both of them. "Don't you realize I'm not a kid? I'm not your little boy anymore."

"Danny—!" Sam called out, but he wasn't listening.

"I've faced death twice," the growl sounded like metal scraping metal. "I've overthrown the king of the Ghost Zone, confronted evil itself, and saved this planet too many times to count. You think some mortal child could shoulder the world and not crumple?"

"Danny-boy, you're our son, of course you're mortal—" Jack called out, causing both of Danny's cores to twist in unison.

"I'm not human!"

The lab fell silent aside from Danny's rasping breaths. He let himself float to the ground, legs buckling under him. Nobody dared move as he fell to his knees. His parents looked at him like he'd just broken. Maybe he had.

"You're human, Danny, of course you are," Maddie's voice was gentle, but her words burned his ears. "We can...your father and I...we've been working on a way to get that ghost matter out of you, and we could—"

"Mom!" Jazz cut in, turning to her mother with crossed arms. "How could you say that?!"

"Jasmine, this isn't your decision!" Maddie snapped. "If Danny wants a chance at a normal life, then—"

"Oh, shut up," Sam's growl was almost as scary as Danny's. She faced the Fenton matriarch now, her hands fists at her sides. "What the actual fuck is wrong with you?"

"Sam—" Tucker tried to jump in.

"Shut up Tuck!" she turned back to him, tears glittering in her eyes. Tucker's mouth snapped shut. "Danny is not human. Period. Do you need me to stomp it into your heads?!"

Maddie's eyes gleamed furiously, her lip curling in pure rage. "You don't know a thing about my son! He's _my_ son! How dare you—"

"Oh, that's it!" Sam yelled now, lunging forward before Jazz caught her arm.

"Sam, calm down," Jazz said. "I'm mad too, but now's not the time."

Sam considered this, turning her attention back to Danny. Her gaze softened, and she pulled her arm from Jazz's steely grasp.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked gently, kneeling next to him hesitantly. He was shaking, both hands on his chest. All he could muster was a humorless laugh. "Are you hurt?"

Danny prodded his cores, tightening when they both seized within his chest. He let out a low growl, the tension falling to the ground as his eyes shuddered closed.

"Not hurt," it still wasn't his voice. "He's..." Danny's brows furrowed. These weren't his words, but if he tried to bite them back, they lashed at his tongue. "He needs rest. Time to recover. He's not a ghost, after all. Not fully."

"He?" Sam's voice was so small. "Who's he?" Danny's eyes were opened for him, but he couldn't see a thing. Sam gasped, hands trying to grab his but falling through. "What's going on?"

"Danny's human side is what makes him powerful, but it's also what makes him weak. If he's going to fight that beast, he needs to feel _safe_ , not _prosecuted_ ," the cores spoke in Danny's voice again. He tried to whimper against them, but the sound fell silent in his throat.

"And who are...you?" Sam's words were scared. Frayed.

"I'm..." Danny's voice faltered. "I'm Danny, the one who died in the portal. The one who died again in the Zone."

"And the other Danny is...?"

"Is the Fenton son. The hero. The savior. He's the good one, and I'm just the..." a low growl, " _that ghost matter_ ," he quoted Maddie's words.

Sam was silent, and Danny could feel his cores growing tired. He slumped to the side, steady arms catching him and guiding him to the ground. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, seeing Sam staring down at him.

"Oh thank god you're back," Sam breathed the words as a few tears fell. "Do you remember...?"

Danny nodded, his hand drifting back to his chest again. "It wasn't me."

"I know. It didn't look like you, either," Sam chuckled a little, another tear falling. "Has that ever—"

"No, never, but this—"

"Yeah, not good, but maybe—?"

"Not a power. What kind of power—"

"Sustained? Practiced? Maybe you could—"

"Hey, guys," Tucker cut in, drawing Sam and Danny from their mostly nonverbal conversation. "Now's not the time."

Danny's eyes snapped to Tucker, nodding slowly. His gaze wandered over to his parents, who were staring at him like he'd just grown a second head. Jazz was in front of them, partially obstructing his view.

"Preparations..." Danny trailed off. "M- mom, dad, could you and Tucker...?"

Maddie blinked the shock from her eyes, horror replacing it. "We need to run tests right now. Whatever that _thing_ was, honey, it wasn't you. We need to—"

"With all due respect," Tucker's tone was tight as he interrupted Maddie, his eyes never once leaving Danny's pained face, "that's not what's going to happen."

"Tucker—"

"I have direct orders from the mayoral office to prepare enough weapons to stock the authorities with. That order applies to you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton." Finally, Tucker's gaze snapped to the elder Fentons, a glare leveled against them. "Do you _really_ want to disobey direct orders in a time of crisis?"

Maddie was visibly shaking, anger and horror swimming in her eyes. Jack stepped forward, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Let's get going."

"What? But Jack—"

"No, Maddie," Jack rubbed his eyes, looking over to Danny with a poorly hidden look of disgust. "We'll deal with _it_ later."

* * *

"Valerie's on her way," Sam rubbed little circles into the back of Danny's hand. In his other hand, he had a cup of hot cocoa, steaming as he took a tiny sip. Jazz had draped a blanket over his shoulders, which promptly hardened thanks to his crying ice core.

"Why?"

Sam froze. Danny looked up at her with fuzzy eyes. He was having a hard time focusing, sleep calling to him. "Jazz told me some of the things your parents have said. That and how they were acting today..."

Danny gulped sandpaper, taking another sip to wash it down. "You think they'd hurt me?"

Sam bit her lip, watching as Danny began to shake again. "I don't know. I'd like to think they wouldn't. But there's more to you than they want to see, and I'm just...we're just afraid of what they might do to that other side of you."

Danny nodded, remembering the powerful grip his cores had on him. As terrifying as the energy was, he knew it wasn't malevolent. He felt his cores sink into his chest at that, as if trying to comfort him.

"This has never happened before," Danny chuckled, taking another sip of cocoa. "I mean, three months ago, I didn't even know what a core was. Now..."

"Now yours is taking control of you and turning your eyes silver?" Sam teased gently, nudging his shoulder with her own.

"Silver? Really?" Danny looked at her, smiling a little. "It's not important, I guess."

Sam pursed her lips, mind racing behind her eyes. "Your parents think you're possessed, Danny. You need to be very, _very_ careful."

Danny stiffened again. "Why would you say that?"

"Do you remember when Jazz said she didn't want to tell your parents about going to Clockwork?"

"Yeah, she said they weren't taking things well," Danny replied nervously. He didn't like where this was going.

"Jazz...well we just talked a second ago," Sam's voice was low. They must've talked when she was making his cocoa. He didn't remember it taking that long, though his mind was stuck in an untrustworthy haze.

"About..."

"Yeah," Sam swallowed hard. "About what they said. Apparently, Jazz overheard them talking about ways to...remove your cores..."

Danny took a sharp breath in, his chest stinging wildly. "They want to _what_?!"

"I know," Sam's expression was one of disgust. "After that they talked about...I don't think I can even say it..."

Danny felt sick. "Please. I need to know."

Sam's face flushed green, her brows drawing themselves together like the words would bite her if she said them aloud. "They think they can...use the cores to make...versions of you to..."

"Finish," Danny demanded shakily, setting his cocoa down in the table next to him.

"Experiment on, Danny. They want to take your cores out, develop them into more Phantoms, and experiment in them."

That was the final straw. Danny turned over, the contents of his stomach falling into the carpet. He shuddered, turning back and falling back into the chair, unable to keep himself upright on his own. He was shaking, sweat pouring over his features as his cores growled and gnawed in his chest. It took all his remaining strength to keep them from taking over again.

"Valerie's here," Sam whispered, voice hallow. Danny hardly noticed her get up and go to the door. They muttered a few words to each other before Valerie sat down on the couch next to Danny.

"Hey there Ghost Boy," she said softly. Danny looked at her with sick eyes, not breathing. He was still restraining his cores. "Rough day, huh?"

Danny nodded slowly, relaxing as Sam came back into his view. She looked behind him at the floor where he got sick, frowning a bit. "I'll, uh, clean that up while they're—"

"Hold it!" Jack's voice boomed from downstairs, a series of crashing sounds cascading afterwards.

"Dad! I had that!" Jazz whined loudly.

"Ok, I'll be right back," Sam sighed, tossing all of her hair up and walking into the kitchen to grab cleaning supplies.

"Danny," Valerie's voice was a little less gentle now. He turned to her slowly, finally taking a breath. His cores were beginning to calm themselves. "What's going on? Sam didn't really explain, but what...?"

"What did she tell you?" Danny's voice was his own, but the energy underneath was just an inch from raging out of control.

"She said..." Valerie gulped, looking downstairs as the clanging noises continued, "that I need to make sure your parents keep their distance. She didn't say why. Care to explain?"

Danny's form shuddered, electricity and ice crystals falling from his hair. "They've been planning to...to...to do something with my ghost part. Something bad..."

Valerie pursed her lips, watching as Danny shuddered again, closing his eyes and letting a deep breath out. "I see," she sounded hesitant.

"They can't take my cores out," Danny opened his eyes again, fear painting his face. "I don't know if I can explain it but it's...it's like they're threatening to rip out a part of my soul."

Valerie's expression softened, a comforting smile playing on her lips. "I don't think I can understand...but I can help. They wont get any closer than you want them as long as I'm around, ok?"

Danny nodded, hissing out a deep breath. "Good. I love my parents, but if they touch..." Danny's hand hovered over his chest still, feeling the other Danny straining to come out. That was the Danny who died. That was the Danny who drove him to be the hero that he was, and his parents wanted to destroy him. They wanted to _experiment_ on him. He wouldn't let that happen.

"They won't. I promise," Valerie affirmed, pressing a few buttons on her watch. It whirred, settings clicking into place. "If they so much as come near you, I'm ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> The conflict is taking off! I've gotten into the habit of writing a few chapters ahead, and the one I just finished gets dark. I'm so excited!
> 
> Also - Danny's talking cores? How do you feel? I decided to start little trigger warnings from here, as I know this type of dissociation can be triggering to people.
> 
> That said, I also want to address a big plot point - Danny does communicate with something that isn't him, but that lives in him. While it isn't Dissociative Identity Disorder, the symptoms are very similar.
> 
> The last thing I want to do is stigmatize this disorder, and I really just want to make it clear that 1. Danny doesn't have DID, this is something else, and 2. I do not have DID either, nor do I have any experience to base it off of. That's why I'm not writing about it.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the support this story has gotten so far! Honestly, it’s the best part of my day getting to read any comments I get, so thank you :)
> 
> Until next time!  
> ~Ash


	12. Separation Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ramifications of Dan’s return worsen
> 
> Also, we get to talk to Danny’s cores a little again :)

**Separation Anxiety**

* * *

Danny forgot when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, he was in his bed. Checking the alarm clock at his bedside, he let himself relax upon realizing it was the next morning, just after eight. He'd only slept one night, despite feeling tired enough to sleep for an entire week.

"Hmm? Danny?" a soft voice came from the ground next to him, causing him to tense. Slowly shifting, he looked down at Sam, who was lying on the floor, wrapped in a black comforter. He didn't even think they _owned_ a black comforter.

"What are you doing here?" Danny's voice was scratchy, eyes squinting the more he tried to look at Sam in the sunlight.

"Um...sleeping?" Sam responded slowly, sleep coloring her voice.

"But...why are you on the ground?" Danny asked, sweeping the hair out of his eyes.

"Because I'm over here, and we figured that might be awkward otherwise," another voice came from the other side of his bed, sending Danny (literally) flying over to her. He floated just above Valerie, staring at her in confusion.

"What are you doing over here?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he rolled back over onto his bed. "Ugh. You know you guys didn't have to _sleep_ next to me, right?"

Silence washed over the three teens, the fact that they most likely did have to do so hanging in the air.

"How'd you sleep?" Sam asked, sitting up now and offering a small smile. Her hair was thrown into a bun which had mostly fallen out in her sleep. Because she just woke up, she wasn't wearing her contacts yet, her deep brown eyes sparkling against the sunlight.

"Well, I don't remember falling asleep, so I guess pretty well," he smiled a little, feeling much better than the day before.

"That's good," Sam cracked her neck loudly, grunting as she grabbed her thick rimmed glasses from Danny's nightstand.

"You know you could've slept on the couch or something," Danny grumbled, looking back and forth between Valerie and Sam. "Or I could've and you guys could've shared the bed. You didn't have to sleep on the floor."

"Shut up, Fenton," Valerie sat up, shaking her head at him. "You went through hell yesterday. I'd be damned if you didn't get to sleep in your own bed."

"And I'm not on the ground," Sam motioned her chin towards the floor. "Tuck and Jazz moved you in here while Val and I went and got some stuff to stay the night. I stole my parents memory foam bed topper and left before they noticed."

"Val?" Danny asked, eyebrows shooting up as he looked between the two.

"What? You've got good taste in friends," Sam teased, sticking her tongue out at Danny.

He chuckled at her, grabbing her glasses before she could even blink, trying them on and smiling. "Oh, no wonder you like bats. You're both totally blind."

"Hey! Give those back!" Sam lunged towards him, grabbing the glasses off his face and placing them back on her own. "Come on, let's get up. There's a lot going on."

* * *

Tucker had gone to deal with preparations the night before and had apparently gone back to his house afterwards. The only reason Sam's parents didn't drag her back to their house too was because the Fentons insisted they'd take care of her. For whatever reason, that swayed them, though Danny had a suspicion it had something to do with his parents' sudden relationship with their local government. The Guys in White had, unfortunately, been notified, and were on their way to Amity Park to establish a general patrol.

"Why do those dunces even need to be involved?" Danny grumbled at the kitchen table, spooning another scoop of cereal into his mouth.

"Because it's the government," Sam sighed, taking a bite of her toast.

"Well, they're not coming _here_ , right?" Valerie asked, earning a small shake of the head from Jazz, who had joined them at one point.

"They're stopping here first, actually. They need new weapons or something," Jazz explained, eyeing Danny carefully as he tensed.

"Great," he groaned. "First I have to deal with Dan, my parents, and now the GIW?"

"Well, you've got us, yeah?" Valerie wiped extra milk from her lips, offering him a tiny smile. "Besides, I haven't seen your parents yet, and it's almost ten."

"Yeah, we were all up till five working on weapons," Jazz's shoulders slumped. She took a long sip of her coffee.

"You were up until five?" Danny asked slowly. Jazz nodded. "Well, go to sleep! We'll be fine, you know."

Jazz chuckled, shaking her head a bit. "Yeah, I tried. I can't. It's fine though, usually after three or four nights my body kinda shuts down, so—"

"Wait, this happens? Like...more than once?" Danny's voice dropped, all attention falling on his sister. She had a hint of bags under her eyes, but they didn't look any worse than usual.

"Look, now's not the time to talk about my insomnia," Jazz sighed, drinking another large swing of coffee. "The GIW are on their way, they're gonna be here around noon."

"And what about—" Valerie started.

"They're not here for Danny. Besides, they can't really touch the world's hero, can they," Jazz explained, sending a little smile in her brother's direction.

Danny flushed, looking down at his cereal as his appetite fell away. "Yeah. I guess, they left me alone. But what if—"

"No, they're not touching you," Sam growled.

"I mean, they don't even have a reason to," Jazz leveled, giving Sam a reassuring smile. "So you're right. They won't."

Danny nodded, gathering his dishes and putting them in the sink. Without thinking, he walked into the basement, curiosity gnawing at his stomach. He had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes weren't paying tricks on him. Ecto-weapons lined the walls, thrown together with various colored materials.

"Yeah, we had a busy night," Jazz sighed, having followed him from the kitchen. She took another sip of coffee; she'd refilled it, apparently. Danny turned back to her, watching as Sam and Valerie followed her down the stairs.

"I can see that," Danny chuckled, turning back and looking over the lab again. His eyes grazed the portal, causing him to tense up a bit. "I think...maybe I should do something..."

"What're you thinking?" Sam asked, nudging him a little with her shoulder once she made her way to him.

"I can get help..." Danny straightened up, mentally assessing who would actually be on his side if he were to recruit ghosts to fight Dan. "I...there are a few ghosts who would..."

"Danny, is that a good idea?" Sam asked. "You _just_ went to them for—"

"This is worse," Danny shuddered, mind replaying the post-apocalyptic state Dan had rendered the world. "You saw what he can do."

Sam pursed her lips. "Yeah. I did. Are you sure, though?"

Danny nodded, turning and sending Sam a small nod. "If they know what he'd do to them...they'll help. I know they will. And we'll need all the help we can get."

Sam nodded, pressing a kiss against Danny's cheek. He blushed, smiling as she pulled away. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Danny smirked at her, noting the light blush on her cheeks. "What, you're not demanding to go with me?"

Sam shook her head. "No, I know you need to do this on your own. Now, promise me you'll be careful."

Danny nodded, a small smile painting his lips. "I promise."

* * *

By the time Danny got back, it was already three in the afternoon. His parents had apparently set up shop in the lab, equipment thrown in each corner.

"Danny-boy!" Jack exclaimed as soon as Danny flew through the portal. "You're back!" he sounded happy as ever, as if nothing had happened. Danny held on to his ghost form, still floating off the ground.

"Yeah," his voice was tight when he responded a few moments later, "I am."

"Oh sweetie, come over here and give me a hug," Maddie stood as she spoke, wiping the grease off of her gloves and on her hazmat suit. "We've been so worried."

Danny floated a little higher off the ground, steadying his racing heart with difficulty. "I think I'm ok for right now..."

Both Jack and Maddie tensed at that. Maddie's smile became more forced. "Honey, I'm sorry about yesterday, we love you and—"

"Sorry about _what_?" Danny asked, taking a deep breath in an unsuccessful attempt to keep from shaking.

"I...for what we said," Maddie lied. It was glaringly obvious.

Danny nodded, not saying a word as he phased through the ceiling. He relaxed when he saw Jazz sitting on the couch with her laptop, transforming back into his human form and falling next to her.

"Ah! Danny!" Jazz yelped, no doubt loud enough to hear from the basement. "What the hell?!"

"Sorry," his voice was shaking furiously, "I just got back and—"

" _Shit,_ " Jazz closed her laptop, throwing it next to her on the couch and turning her full attention to her brother. "I'm so sorry, I was supposed to be down there but I just got this headache with all the noise and I wasn't thinking and I—" she rambled, not stopping to take a breath.

"Woah," Danny cut in, "it's fine."

Jazz shook her head, biting lip and looking down at the basement. "They didn't try anything, did they?" He shook his head in response. "Good."

Danny gulped, looking down at his lap. "Do you really think they'd...that they'd..."

There were a few moments of silence between the siblings before Jazz sighed, drawing Danny's attention back up to her. "I don't know. They were ready to strap you down yesterday and—"

Danny instinctively drew his hands to his chest, causing Jazz to cut herself off. "Shut up," it wasn't his voice anymore. Jazz froze next to him as his vision faded to black.

"Who am I talking to?" Jazz asked as Danny's cores turned his head to her. They smiled at her. They liked Jazz.

"The other Danny."

"The one who died?"

They nodded his head, and suddenly, Danny could feel Jazz wrap her arms around him. The cores didn't tense at the touch, as if they'd expected it.

"I am _so_ _sorry_ ," Jazz whispered into his ear. "I wish I could've been there for you. I just—" she choked on her words, sniffling a bit. "You're my baby brother. I should have taken care of you. I should have been there when you..."

Danny's cores twisted in distress, drawing his arms up to hug her back. "Don't apologize. Please don't. I did this to him. I killed him, you didn't do anything wrong."

Jazz froze in his arms, pulling away. "You didn't do anything. What happened...what happened to...both of you...all of you, I guess...it wasn't your fault. It will _never_ be your fault."

"We were weak enough to die," the voice broke at the end. "We should have protected him." Danny tried to whimper against that thought, but his cores simply dismissed the sentiment.

"No," Jazz tucked strands of hair behind Danny's ears, shushing him gently. "You are _strong_. You're the reason he's alive. You're the reason he _survived_."

Danny's head nodded, and he leaned forward a bit, disorientation overtaking his senses. When he finally found his bearings, he was back, his cores having retreated back into his chest.

"...Jazz?" Danny asked, pulling away and looking up at his sister. He sighed in relief when he could actually see her.

"You back with me?" her brows drew themselves together as she assessed his face and eyes. He nodded, smiling a little as his cores let out a soft purr, relaxing into his chest.

"Did you really mean all that?" Danny asked quietly, looking down at his lap.

"Of course I did."

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

When Jazz didn't respond right away, Danny's brows furrowed. He looked up at his sister, who looked over him with a contemplative glance.

"I don't know. If things were a little less... _complicated_ , it would look like dissociative identity disorder. But I don't know that much about ghosts and their psychology..." Jazz trailed off, sighing. "Either way, I love you. And I love whoever I was just talking to."

Danny sank into the feeling of warmth Jazz's words filled him with. He hugged her, letting out a deep breath. "I love you too."

The siblings stayed like that for a few more moments before Danny pulled away. Jazz's phone vibrated and she jumped, grabbing it hastily.

"Oh, Sam and Val are just grabbing Tucker. They just got back from dropping off some more equipment at the police station," Jazz explained, setting her phone down after sending a quick reply.

"They're allowed outside?" Danny asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You think the authorities can keep those two inside?" Jazz joked, eliciting a small laugh from them both. "No, but it's a weird time. Nobody really knows that much about ghosts except for us. Not even the GIW know as much as you, me, Sam and Tucker, and we're all just teenagers. Sure, we're not adults, but the adults can't exactly turn down our help, can they?"

Danny considered Jazz's point, nodding a bit the more he thought about it. "Yeah, ok. I guess."

"Same goes for a lot of the students at Casper High," Jazz smiled a little. "You know, there's an underground group of them who snuck out and are patrolling? As soon as the emergency ghost alert went out, they started organizing."

" _What_?" Danny's voice was a sharp hiss, his protective streak kicking in.

"Don't worry," Jazz ruffled his hair, chuckling a bit, "they actually know what they're doing. You know, some of them started looking into ghosts and ghost fighting when they started showing up here in Amity Park. I looked over what they're doing, and to be honest, they look more competent than the GIW."

Danny nodded, letting himself relax a little bit. "Ok. Ok, that's...whatever."

"You're upset?" Jazz asked gently.

"I'm..." Danny's shoulders slumped a little. "No. I'm just worried. I'd just rather ghosts who, you know, _can't_ _die_ , patrol instead."

"That's right, how did that go?"

"Well, I got a lot, actually," Danny sighed, thinking back to the stress of seeking out so many ghosts. "Frostbite and most of the Yetis from Far Frozen are coming later tonight. I managed to convince most everyone we know to come and help except for Walker and Clockwork. Oh, and of course the Observants."

Jazz frowned. "Clockwork won't come?"

Danny shook his head, thinking about his friend. _Mentor_? No, _friend_. "Clockwork can't leave. It's against his nature. Besides, he wouldn't even let me find his tower. My guess is I need to do this without him."

Jazz nodded slowly before sighing a bit. "Ok, well I'll email Tucker and CC everyone who needs to know. They won't be shot down unless they show any real threat."

"Good," Danny let out a deep breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thank you."

"Of course," Jazz nodded, smiling a bit. "Oh, by the way, I'm supposed to tell you that that underground group is is meeting tonight. I think they want you to be there."

Danny pursed his lips, considering his sister's words. "Um, ok. That makes sense, I guess. Do they, I don't know, call themselves anything?"

Jazz smirked. "Yeah, they're calling themselves Team Phantom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> So, off the bat - I want to address a few things my ff.net readers pointed out - Clockwork seems like a confusing part of the story right now. He feels a little like a plot hole, but he’s not, and his presence is explained in depth later :)
> 
> Also! Danny does have two cores, but they both speak as one voice or person. That is clarified later, but I figured it can’t hurt to make that clear now too!
> 
> I’m so excited for this next story arch. I really hope you all are enjoying so far! I really appreciate the kudos and comments, they always make my day :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	13. Faint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the new Team Phantom and uncover a few secrets...
> 
> *Trigger Warning - Eating Disorder*

**Faint**

* * *

Danny, Sam, and Valerie had decided to go to the unofficial Team Phantom's meeting together. Jazz elected to work with Maddie and Jack, promising to keep an ear to the ground about anything they might be planning. Tucker decided it wasn't a good idea to get involved considering his position and the fact that the meeting was technically illegal activity.

"So, let me get this straight," Danny began to clarify as the three flew through the night sky towards the address Jazz had given them. "There are tunnels underground? Here in Amity Park?"

"Yeah, I can't believe you didn't know!" Sam beamed from her spot in Danny's arms.

"Of course he didn't," Valerie chuckled from next to them, her feet steady on her hoverboard. "Have you seen his report card?"

"Hey!" Danny protested while his friends laughed. "I'm a busy guy, you know. It's not my fault you have to actually do your homework to get good grades."

"Here!" Sam said quickly, pointing to the ground beneath them. Danny lowered them, Valerie following suit as her hoverboard folded back into her shoes. "There's an entrance, but I figured you could, you know, phase us through."

"Hmm, I don't know," Danny joked, eyeing them both. "I just might not be smart enough."

"Jackass," Valerie elbowed him jokingly, shaking her head idly. "We're running late, so just hurry up, Phantom."

Danny chuckled a little, grabbing Sam and Valerie by their shoulders and phasing them through the ground. He felt the air open up around him after a few moments, letting the three of them sink to the ground before he released their intangibility. Letting go of his friends, he took a look around, tensing when he realized they'd phased into the middle of a crowd on accident.

"Oh, uh, hey," Danny waved awkwardly, the silence persisting for a moment before the students all spoke at once.

"Ok, back up!" Sam yelled over the crowd as she pushed the other teens away from Danny, Valerie, and herself. Danny took a look around, realizing with a start that there were at least a hundred kids in the massive cavern.

Grabbing his friends, Danny floated off the ground a few yards, taking a deep breath. "Quiet!" he yelled, his cores assisting to increase the volume. The students fell silent, giving him a chance to do a quick scan of the situation.

They were in what appeared to be an abandoned subway station, though there were no tracks for any subways. Danny had no idea what else the tunnels might have been used for. He recognized students ranging from freshman to senior, all eyes falling on him. At the head of the crowd, there was a small platform, a blue haired girl standing at it as if she had just been addressing the students. In a semi-circle around the platform, other various students stood, looking out at the crowd as well. Among them, Danny recognized Paulina and Star. He also recognized Dash and Kwan.

Flying over to the makeshift podium, Danny set Valerie and Sam down, floating over to the platform and letting his feet dangle in the air. "Thank you for inviting me," he said breathlessly, eyeing the students hesitantly. He'd never been good in front of a lot of people.

"D- Danny Phantom!" she gasped at him, reaching out and shaking his head vigorously. "Oh my god it's such an honor to meet you! I should've maybe introduced myself sooner but I just get so nervous, you know? Oh, you know I've been studying your attack patterns for months now, and honestly it's the only reason I'm even able to— ah, you know what? I'm rambling," the blunette let go of his hand, taking a step back and straightening up a bit. "Sorry, I should introduce myself. We've never really talked in school or anything. My name's Meghan, but you can call me Meg."

Danny smiled, resisting the urge to turn back to Valerie. He could feel her stare on the back of neck, even through her mask. "Nice to meet you. I'm, uh..." Danny scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "well I guess you already know..."

"Who'd you bring? Is that..." Meg's eyes went wide as saucers. "Oh, wow, it's the Red Huntress. You brought the Red Huntress!" she nearly barreled past Danny to greet her before regaining her composure. "I, um, mean, uh, thank you! For coming. And it's nice to meet you!"

One glance back at Valerie and Danny was completely sure Meg was her girlfriend. The Red Huntress stood tense, shoulders taught above her back.

"You—" Valerie cleared her throat, lowering her voice, "You too."

Meg nodded before turning her attention back to Danny. "Ok! So we were just having our nightly town hall meeting. It's something we established right away to make sure we retain open lines of communication. Afterwards, we can get the board together to show you around and talk privately too, if you'd like." Danny looked around, confusion painting his features. "Did I, uh, say something wrong? You do know what we're doing...?"

Danny looked right at Meg, sending her a reassuring smile. "I do, I just...you know what, could I say something?" he eyed the platform.

"Oh! Oh, of course. I mean, we named the team after you, of course you should say something!" Meg nodded, taking a step back and finding her place next to Valerie. "Wow, um, hi. You're amazing, jeez I wish my girlfriend was here, she'd love to meet you," she whispered.

Danny nearly snorted, Valerie sending him a dangerous look through her mask. He turned back to the crowd at that, taking a deep breath. He didn't necessarily need the oxygen, but the process helped calm his growing nerves.

"So, you're the new Team Phantom?" Danny projected his voice, smiling as a few whoops and hollers fluttered across the crowd. "Wow, ok. You know, the original Team Phantom was just me, Sam, and Tucker. Jazz joined a little later. As great as it is to have a bigger team..." he swallowed hard, looking over the expectant faces in the audience.

"This is dangerous," Danny voice was a low growl, his cores pouring intensity over him. They knew better than anyone else just how dangerous this was. "You don't know what the enemy is, _who_ the enemy is. This fight is...not something you want to get involved in. Trust me, save yourselves."

The cavern fell silent. After a few moments, Danny felt a hand on his shoulder, gently turning him around. He expected it to be Valerie or Sam, maybe even Meg. He was shocked to find Paulina smiling up at him. He must have grown taller than her at some point.

"What, the way you save yourself?" she asked, earning a few 'yeah's and 'uh-huh's from the crowd. Paulina lowered her voice so they couldn't hear for a moment, "I saw what you did to protect us in the woods. That's the thing that's coming, yeah?" Danny nodded slowly. "Well you're not facing it alone. Not again."

"But—" Danny started.

"We're helping," Paulina spoke up now so the audience could hear. More affirmations echoed through the cavern. "We're going to help you for every time you've helped us. We owe you this, Phantom, so let us do what we have to!"

The crowd cheered, causing tears to well in Danny's eyes. He turned back to them, smiling and shaking his head a little as they settled down. "Well then," he turned back to Meg, Valerie, and Sam before looking at the audience again, "let's kick some ass."

The audience erupted in applause once more, reverberating against Danny's confident cores.

* * *

The town hall meeting proceeded as 'normal' after Danny's little interruption, despite the fact that it was the second ever meeting. How all these teens managed to get away from their parents, he had no clue, but that didn't stop them from establishing a small community beneath their town. Apparently, they'd set up makeshift rooms, sectioned off rations, and established a training schedule for those who needed it, and a patrolling schedule for those who didn't.

"And if one of you guys get picked up by the police or the GIW?" Danny asked as Meg lead them through the caverns, the board trailing behind them. He was back in his human form now, letting his ghost form rest for the time being.

"Oh, we always go out in groups. Phones and walkie talkies are a must, too," Meg explained, smiling as she spoke. "I've thought a lot about this. We all have."

Danny looked at the teens around him, assessing the board everyone had elected. While Meg had organized everything, she hadn't actually appointed herself leader; she'd set up a voting system. Everyone had decided she needed to be the leader, though, electing her nearly unanimously. The board consisted of Paulina, Star, Dash, Kwan, and a few of Danny's other classmates, named Wes, Kathy, Marla, and Blaine.

"I can't believe..." Danny looked at them all before extending his gaze to the cavern, sprawling in different directions. They had hung sheets to make makeshift rooms, lighting fires for warmth and light beneath grates that led to the surface. "This is incredible. I can't believe you organized this."

"Well, our town is under attack. Our generation knows more about ghosts than anyone except for your parents, maybe," Meg didn't notice Danny flinch at the mention of his parents, but Sam did. She squeezed his hand, though she stayed silent. "With social media and everything, it wasn't too difficult. And of course, we all wanted to help."

Danny nodded, smiling as they kept going. When they reached another large cavern, Meg stopped, and the board fanned out around the room; they all knew what they were doing. Danny, Sam, Valerie, and Meg stayed near the entrance.

"What's this room?" Valerie asked, her voice lower than usual as to not give herself away to her girlfriend.

"It's for training," Meg explained while the board members peeled off in groups. Dash and Kwan whispered amongst themselves in one corner, throwing glances over at Danny every once in a while. Paulina and Star were throwing their hair up and taking off their makeup, getting ready to start working with glowing green ecto-staffs. Wes, Kathy, Marla, and Blaine were examining a wall of ecto-guns, deciding which ones to practice with.

"Does everyone train?" Danny asked, mind wandering back to how many people there were.

"Well, some don't need the training," Meg smiled. "My girlfriend won't need it when she gets here, for example. Some people come in with self defense or combat training that's pretty compatible with ghost weapons."

Danny noticed Valerie stiffen next to him, and he bit back the urge to laugh nervously. He felt bad for her, but he _had_ warned her. "And the others?" he asked.

"Yeah, a lot need training," Meg sighed, watching as Wes hit himself in the nose from the recoil on one of the guns. His nose started bleeding. "Even a couple board members, ugh, Wes! I just showed you how to— give me a second..." Meg trailed off, rushing over to Wes and taking some tissue from one of her pockets in her cargo pants. Danny turned back to Sam and Valerie, focusing on his masked friend.

"You need to tell her," he said as soon as Meg was out of earshot.

"Ok, I know, but—" Valerie started.

"But what?!" Sam cut in, hissing in a whisper. "She deserves to know."

"You don't think I know that?" Valerie snapped back. "She's amazing, and she doesn't deserve any of this shit. It's just...I meant to tell her sooner, but now..."

"Just tell her," Danny sighed, meeting her eyes through her mask. "No matter what happens, she needs to know, and you need to get it off your chest."

Valerie nodded, opening her mouth to respond when she was cut off by a sharp scream. Danny immediately recognized it as Paulina's, and he turned towards her with haste. She was hunched over Star, arms under her head. Danny flew over to them, floating down to the ground next to the two girls.

"What happened?" Danny asked, looking down at Star as her closed eyes twitched. He grazed an icy hand over her forehead, watching as she shuddered.

"I- I don't know!" Paulina cried out. "We were sparring and she just...she just collapsed! I don't...I didn't even touch her I swear, I would never—"

"I know you wouldn't," Danny reassured, eyes never leaving Star's face as her eyes fluttered open. "Star? Hey, can you hear me?"

"Huh...hmm?" she blinked a few times, head lolling from side to side lazily. "Danny? Paulie?"

"I'm here baby girl," Paulina grabbed Star's hands, squeezing lightly. Danny would've smiled at the pet name, but he was still stuck in a state of worry over his new friend.

"What happened? Do you remember fainting?" Danny asked, watching as Star's gaze traveled back to him.

"I...no," she sighed, propping herself up to her elbows with Paulina's help. "I don't."

"Ok. Are you dehydrated?"

"No, I've been drinking water all day," she motioned to her water bottle near the edge of the wall.

"And the last time you ate?"

Star froze at the question, her eyes shooting down to her lap. "Uh, what time is it?"

Danny looked at Paulina, cocking his head slightly. "Babe, it's a little after nine," she answered.

Star shuddered, laughing nervously. "Oh, uh, you know. Dinner, then."

Danny's gut twisted, his intuition telling him it was a lie. "Star."

"What?!" Star shot her gaze back up to Danny, eyes brimming with tears. "It's none of your business."

Paulina started shaking, looking down at Star with worried eyes. "Star. I...you told me..."

"I'm fine," Star tried to push herself farther up, her face paling as she fell back into Paulina's arms. "Let go of me!"

"Hey, shh, it's—" Paulina started.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" she was yelling now. "I didn't hurt anyone. And I'm fine, so back the fuck off."

Danny watched hurt color Paulina's face, eyes trained on Star. "You need help," her words were hardly there.

"I'm not crazy," Star's tone was low and dangerous as she looked right at Danny, refusing to look at Paulina. "I'm not a crazy person."

"I never said you were," Danny's tone was gentle.

"You're looking at me like I am," the blonde spat.

Danny shook his head, considering his words carefully. Paulina was on the brink of a panic attack across from him, and she was still holding Star off the ground a little. "I...I know what it's like for people to look at you like you're crazy," Danny smiled softly when he saw her start to relax. "And I know what it's like when they pity you. I won't do either of those things. I'd never. Let's get some air, ok?"

Danny eyed Paulina once more, noticing that her shaking form was growing less stable by the second. He turned his attention back to Sam, who had made her way over to them.

"I need you to take care of Paulina," he said gently as to not scare either of the girls. "Star and I are gonna go get some fresh air," Danny looked back at the blonde in front of him, "sound good?"

Star nodded hesitantly, fear and distrust still sparkling in her eyes. Danny lifted her slowly from Paulina's arms before floating up into the cavern. He phased them through the ground, coming up in the cool night air. Letting the two float gently down onto the damp grass, Danny sighed, smiling when he saw Star relax into a seated position.

"I'm so sorry," she started crying, hands pulling themselves up to her cheeks as she wiped the tears away.

"You don't need to apologize," Danny smiled at her, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "Can I ask you something? Just so I can help you?" Star tensed before letting out a deep breath, nodding slowly. "When is the last time you ate?"

Star started shaking, arms coming down in front of her. Danny realized with a start that she was wrapping her fingers around her wrists, rubbing circles as though checking the circumference. "I- I- it's been..." she spoke as Danny watched sobs wrack her body, sniffling furiously. "It's been five days."

Danny's blood ran colder than usual at that. _Five_ _days_. "Oh Star..."

"I'm fine, ok?" she snapped before blinking s few times. "Oh, sorry."

"I think we need to get you to a hospital," Danny was thinking out loud. He was in over his head; he didn't know how to handle this. This was a serious, serious problem that needed immediate attention before Star seriously hurt herself.

She tensed, shaking her head. "No. I won't. I know what happens in those wards. I'm not going there," she spat, pushing herself away from Danny. He looked at her carefully, assessing his options.

"At least let me bring you back to the tunnels. I need to talk with Meg and Paulina. Maybe call my sister, she actually knows how to deal with these kinds of problems," Danny explained, watching as Star relaxed slightly.

"I— ok. But no hospitals," Star hissed, broken eyes studying his face. "You need to promise me."

"You know I can't—"

" _Promise_ ," it was a growl now.

Danny took a deep breath, preparing an oath he didn't think he'd be able to keep. "I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> First and foremost, I think it’s important to point out that I’ve had personal experience with all the mental health concerns in this story (besides the dissociation that’s isn’t really dissociation), therefore I feel I am able to represent them with the respect and delicacy they deserve.
> 
> I really want to address the sudden inclusion of Star’s eating disorder - I’ve included it for two major reasons. First, EDs have a horrible stigma in popular media, usually being shown as ‘teenage girls trying to be pretty’. While that can be part of it, it goes so, so much deeper.
> 
> Also, I’m trying to make these characters feel real and raw, and giving them real emotional issues really helps with that. (That’s the same reason I gave Sam brown eyes and colored contacts :)
> 
> Now, disclaimers and explanations aside, how does everyone feel about Team Phantom and the new problems they’re facing? Get ready for even more conflict!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who leaves comments and kudos - y’all are what keep me writing!
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	14. Grudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance, Danny really goes through it y’all
> 
> *Trigger Warning - Eating Disorder*
> 
> *Trigger Warning - ‘F’ slur use*

**Grudge**

* * *

"Can I put you on the phone with my sister?" Danny asked Star gently. She was sitting cross legged on an air mattress in her personal corner. He didn't know where they got the electricity for the air pumps. Or the money, for that fact. He pushed the thought aside for now.

"I- I guess," she grumbled, grabbing the phone from his hand.

Danny had been talking with Jazz for about an hour in a different cavern. Right after talking privately with Star, he left her with Valerie.

" _Five_ _days_?" she'd hissed when Danny finished giving a brief explanation. "That poor girl..."

"She doesn't want pity," Danny said quickly, glancing back to Star as she hugged herself. He looked back at Valerie, eyes tired. "She knows about you? I mean, Red Huntress?"

Valerie pursed her lips. "Her and Paulina found out a few days ago. They kept quiet about it, but yeah, they know."

Danny nodded. "Ok. Well, talk to her like a _person_ , ok? That's what she needs right now. I'm gonna go talk to Jazz to figure out what to do."

Valerie nodded, taking Star to her room. That left Danny to call his sister, who asked him a a dozen questions he didn't know how to answer.

"So you know nothing about the situation," Jazz's voice had been tense as she spoke, "except that she hasn't eaten in five days and that she hasn't told anyone?"

"That's all I know," Danny let the words fall out in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I wish—"

"Don't you dare apologize for trying to help someone," Jazz cut him off. "I'll talk to mom and dad really quick, and then...could I talk to her?"

Danny tensed. "Why?"

"Huh? Oh, just so I can—"

"No," Danny took a deep breath, "why mom and dad?"

"Well, they have medical equipment, and she said no hospitals," Jazz explained.

"Oh," he puffed out his words with his breath, "sure."

After giving the phone to Star, Danny didn't know what to do. He walked away, giving them a semblance of privacy before sinking down into a low crouch. His hands tangled in his hair. That's how Sam found him a minute later.

"Hey," she crouched down next to him, not daring to touch him. She could see the electricity weaving itself just under his skin.

"H- hey," Danny's voice was shakier than he meant for it to be. He cleared his throat, straightening up and pulling his hands from his hair. "How's Paulina?"

Sam looked down. "Not good. Her girlfriend has an eating disorder and she didn't know. She's worried sick."

Danny nodded. _Girlfriend_. The confirmation should have made him happy. He should've meet excited for his friend. Instead, he just felt empty, his body unable to handle much more right now. He'd never felt so _useless_. He could hardly imagine how Paulina must have been feeling.

"And you?" Danny's voice was hallow.

"I don't know," Sam buried her head in her knees, arms wrapping around her legs. "I always thought she was so shallow. I thought they all were."

"I know," Danny's cores twisted. They were trying to reassure him. He didn't know if he deserved it. "I always thought...I thought what was going on with us was so much more important."

Sam chuckled a little, looking up at him slowly. "I know. I mean, how could ghost hunting _not_ be bigger, right?"

Danny's chest fell. "Right," he sighed, "I just...I wish we were right."

Sam cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I wish they didn't have to worry about this kind of shit," Danny balled his fists before letting out a low growl. "Maybe if I just tried harder—"

"Stop that!" Sam hissed. "You have _nothing_ to do with this."

Danny gulped. He nodded. He knew she was right, and the tugging in his chest was in agreement with her, but he couldn't get himself to believe them. There had to have been something he could've done.

"Ok," he said nonetheless, eyes trained to the floor.

"Let me take care of this," Sam said, and Danny jumped a bit at her words, looking up at her.

"What? Why?" Danny asked slowly. "You think I'll mess up?"

"Huh? No! Jeez, Danny, of course not," Sam said quickly. "I just...you're so tired. You can go rest, if that's what you need."

Danny looked at her before smiling a little at her. "You can handle this?"

"Well, duh," Sam stuck her tongue out at him. "Now go, get some rest. We'll wake you up soon."

* * *

Danny didn't take a nap. He couldn't lay still on the air mattress Meg led him too, and his thoughts were too loud to ignore. One in particular screamed louder than the rest.

 _"I always thought she was so shallow,"_ Sam had said. _"I thought they all were."_

Danny threw the blanket off of himself, getting up and flying out of the cavern. He scanned each room invisibly until he found the person he wanted to talk to. _Needed_ to talk to. He floated down, releasing his invisibility and watching the person in front of him jump.

"Phantom!" Dash yelped. "What...what are you doing here?"

Danny took a moment to look around. It must have been Dash's room, a sheet hung as a sort of privacy curtain. He turned back to the jock, crossing his arms in front of him. He transformed into his human form, feet planting on the ground.

"What's wrong with you?" Danny asked, eyes flashing green for a moment as he spoke. Dash froze, all color falling from his face.

"I...dude, I'm sorry, I don't—"

"Stop," Danny closed his eyes, fists dropping and clenching at his sides. "Stop that. You wouldn't do what you do if there wasn't something wrong with you, right?" Danny waited a moment for Dash to answer, and when he didn't offer one, he sighed. "So what is it, huh? Are you a bad person, or are you dealing with shit?"

Dash tensed at that, turning away from Danny. It took the younger teen a moment to realize he was shaking. "It's not that simple."

"Oh?" Danny took a step forward, grabbing Dash's shoulder and turning him around. He was _done_ messing around. "Explain it to me, then."

Dash looked down at Danny, in human form, and it was just like before. Dash's eyes glimmered with anger, and Danny stood below him. A part of himself readied for a beating. The rest of him stood tall.

"Go ahead," Danny spat, voice sharp. "Hit me."

Dash took a step back, body still shaking, though there was something different in his eyes. He looked like he was about to break.

"Wh...why would I...?" Dash stammered, voice tight.

"Why not? I was your punching bag for years, you know. I can take it," Danny took a step closer until there were just a few inches between them. Whatever Dash was holding back, Danny would get it out of him.

Dash clenched his fists. "I'm not going to—"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Fenton, knock it off—"

"You know I don't fight back," Danny smirked, watching Dash's eyes break. This was it.

Dash lurched forward, grabbing Danny by the collar of his shirt. He yanked up, as he had so many times. Danny was forced to his toes, now eye level with the older teen. Dash looked at him. Stared at him. _Glared_ at him, so hard and with so much intensity it sent a shiver down Danny's spine.

Then, Dash's eyes went down to his lips. Stayed there. Back up to Danny's eyes. The jock pulled closer, breath hitching in his throat. Oh. _Oh_.

Dash snapped out of it, letting go of Danny. The halfa stumbled backwards, hardly catching himself from falling backwards. He looked up at Dash, who's head was in his hands.

"Dash—" it was hardly a whisper.

"Fenton," Dash's voice was dangerous. "Go, just—" his voice cracked, " _go_."

"I'm not leaving," Danny breathed to calm his pounding heart. "We need to talk about—"

"About what!" Dash snapped, looking at Danny. Tears were falling down his cheeks, collecting at his chin. "About the stupid fucking _faggot_ on the football team?"

Danny's breath hitched in his throat, a small cough falling from shaking lips. "Dash—"

"Shut up," Dash covered his ears with his hands, pacing frantically. "Shut up shut up shut _up_. First, you show up at school, and I can't help- and I can't- I—"

"You don't have to—"

"Like hell I don't," Dash growled, hands falling from his ears. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Without opening them, he spoke, tone shaking worse with each word. "You were the one who made me realize...it was _you_. Fenton. And just as I start to...I don't know, there's Phantom who isn't nearly as embarrassing and really it's just..." Dash took a shuddering breath, opening his eyes, " _still_ _you_."

Danny gulped. Dash was furious. He didn't know if it was aimed at him or himself. Maybe it was both. "I never knew."

Dash laughed bitterly, eyes falling to the ground. He was crying again. "No shit. Nobody did. And nobody _does_ , so if you so much as—"

"I won't," Danny cut in quickly, causing Dash to look back at him. "I'm, uh, good at keeping secrets. Remember?"

Dash stared at him for a few moments before letting out a low chuckle. "Yeah. Ok."

Danny nodded, not quite sure what to do. Did he comfort Dash? Did he walk away? Before he could think any more about it, someone rustled at the curtain, drawing both of their attention.

"Oh, thank god you're here," it was Meg, her blue dyed hair falling into her face. She didn't seem to notice, though, storming into Dash's room and right up to Danny. "I need you to talk to your parents."

"My parents?" Danny asked, watching as her eyes filled with a mix of rage and fear.

"Yeah. They're here, and they're threatening to call the police and have everything shut down."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Danny's voice wasn't his when he spoke to his parents. He had to fight to keep control of his body, and his vision faded in and out. The other Danny wanted _desperately_ to deal with them himself.

"Danny-boy, is that you, son?" Jack asked, turning around and looking up into the night sky where Danny was floating in ghost form. They'd stepped out of their vehicle to talk with Meg, apparently, and had been waiting for Danny to show up.

"This is..." the other Danny — Phantom — trailed off. Jack got the message, straightening up a bit.

"Let is talk to our son, you _ghost_!" Maddie yelled, hoisting the ecto-blaster higher up onto her shoulder. Danny flinched away, almost slipping and letting Phantom take control of his body.

"He's not ready to talk to you," Phantom growled, low and cold. "He'll just forgive you if he did."

' _I won't_ ,' Danny wanted to scream. ' _I wouldn't let them hurt you!_ '

" _Forgive_ us," Maddie seethed back, taking a step forward. The end of the ecto-gun glowed green. "This is wrong. You're a _parasite_. Get out of my son!"

' _Mom!_ ' Danny wanted to call out, but he forced his energy into maintaining his body and vision.

Phantom let out a humorless laugh. His emotions soaked into Danny's skin, gut wrenching shame piercing him.

"You're probably right. I didn't ask to be made. I don't want to _exist_ ," the words were spat. Danny didn't know if Phantom was talking to his parents or himself. "But I do, because Danny survived. He exists despite the reason I exist."

"And why's that?" Jack spoke up now, his voice a strange mix of confusion and anger.

Danny swallowed hard. His eyes stung. "Because he died. Don't you see that? Sure, he's kind of alive now, but he really, _truly_ died. _Twice_."

Danny whimpered a bit. It was like Phantom was hugging him, trying to comfort him, but he couldn't keep from shaking hard.

"Get out of my son," Maddie growled, the ecto-gun firing. Before Danny could move, something pushed him out of the way. In a split second, he turned, coming face to face with a mask-less Valerie, still decked out in her ghost hunting suit. He grabbed her, letting them both sink beneath the ground and land in one of the underground caverns.

"V- Valerie," Danny breathed the words. Phantom had been stunned back into his chest, spinning there anxiously. "Th- thank y- you."

"Phantom," Danny flinched at the name. Was it even his anymore? "Your parents...they almost..."

"Val?" a soft voice came from next to the two teens, who were still laying on the ground from their fall.

Danny's breath caught in his throat when he looked over to find Meg, her eyes wide in disbelief. He'd never realized she had hazel eyes, though the realization seemed arbitrary at the moment. She continued to stare at Valerie, who was wearing her Red Huntress suit, still mask-less.

"Oh _shit_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Things are really going now! There are a few battle scenes coming up, and everything just spirals from here, so get ready for some more fun coming up ;)
> 
> Also, this is the last chapter for a while with anything explicitly triggering. Thank you for bearing with me while I explore these topics - I know it can be a lot, but I really do enjoy bringing light to these sensitive issues in a realistic way.
> 
> (In all honesty, I almost cut out the use of the ‘F’ slur, but it’s so essential to understanding Dash’s self hatred)
> 
> All that said, what does everyone think? Let me know! I really look forward to reading comments and getting feedback :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	15. Bright Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy is there a lot of aftermath to deal with...
> 
> (There’s a little POV change in here, just a heads up!)

**Bright Future**

* * *

"What the actual _fuck_ ," Meg paced frantically, hands curling and uncurling at her sides. "You're- are you really- you can't be—"

"Meg—"

"Don't _Meg_ me!" she snapped back. "Explain."

Valerie took a deep breath, looking down at Danny, who was shaking harder than before now. His skin was frosted over, electricity sparkling over it. He looked petrified.

"I will, I promise," Valerie's eyes didn't leave Danny's, "but right now we have other things to deal with."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments before Meg let out a strangled sigh. "What?"

Valerie finally looked back at Meg. "Did Jazz show up? Why are the Fentons here?"

"They—"

"And _why_ ," Valerie's tone was sharp as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, "did nobody tell me or Sam?"

"I didn't know...I told Danny so he could talk to them. I thought..." Meg looked down at Danny, who was gripping his chest and trying not to hyperventilate. He was failing miserably.

"There's always more to the situation," Valerie's eyes snapped open. She was looking right at Meg now. "I'm sorry, it's not fair to expect you to know, I just..." her gaze traveled down to Danny, softening as he looked up at her with scared eyes. "Where's Jazz?"

"She showed how right before her- their parents. She's talking with Star, though. I don't think she knows they came."

"Why _did_ they come?" Valerie looked back at Meg.

"They just said they needed to talk to Danny," Meg explained quickly. "Said if he didn't come out, they'd call the police on everything. I just thought they were having some stupid fight, I swear. I just wanted them to make up so they wouldn't...I mean _everything_ I've done, and..."

Valerie sighed, rising to her knees. She looked down at Danny, reaching out to help him up before noticing the frost and sparks still clung to his skin. "Get Jazz, or Sam. Both, actually. Go stay with Star if you need to, I just..." Valerie watched as Danny shuddered, closing his eyes tight as if something was hurting him. "Something's wrong."

* * *

When Danny opened his eyes again, time had passed. He was still in the same cavern, laying in the same spot as before, but now Jazz and Sam were next to him, both looking at him with worry written across their features.

"H- hey guys," Danny propped himself up on his elbows. He felt sick.

"Are you ok?" Sam's voice was strained, as if she was working to keep herself from screaming.

"Yeah, I don't know why I passed out there," Danny chuckled lightly. It was a lie. His panic and fear had overwhelmed his senses, and he knew that.

"What did they do to you?" Sam asked, eyes sweeping over his body. Danny stiffened. He prodded his cores. They were undamaged, and the swelling from earlier had actually gone down quite a bit.

"They didn't _do_ anything," Danny rasped, his parents' words still swimming in his ears. They _hated_ Phantom. He shuddered.

"They—," Sam almost started yelling, but Jazz elbowed her lightly. She took a deep breath before continuing. "They almost shot you. Valerie is the only reason you...that they didn't..."

"Get me?" Danny's fists tightened at his sides. "Yeah, I know. They came here for me. They want to save me and hurt him."

"Him..." realization painted Sam's face. "The other Danny?"

Danny smiled a little, nodding. "He calls himself Phantom. Or maybe I do? I don't know, uh..."

"Phantom," Jazz tested the word, and Danny nodded again. "Is this...I just mean, this sounds like—"

"I think," Danny interrupted, "it's something more like...like he's the ghost, I think. He...died," he shivered as his cores twisted. It was the truth. "It's not another personality. It's another _person_ , and he...he's trying to protect me."

Jazz pursed her lips, nodding slowly. "Protect you? From what?"

Danny's chest twisted. Phantom laughed a little in the back of his throat, sending him a comment. Danny snorted, shaking his head. "He says from myself, mostly. Told me to get more sleep."

"Well, he's right," Sam chuckled, bumping his shoulder a little. He realized his skin wasn't sparking anymore. "I've been telling you the same thing for months!"

"You can talk to him?" Jazz asked slowly. She seemed concerned. That bothered Danny.

"Well, he's always listening, but I think it's hard to talk. It's really hard to talk over me, like, to everyone. But it's also kinda hard to talk even just to me," Danny explained, and he smiled a little when his cores nodded in content. They understood one another. "It's easier if he just sends me feelings."

"That's..." Jazz started softly.

"So cool!" Sam cut in, leaning forward a bit. "So when you transform, does he, like...?"

"It's easier for him to come out," Danny knew it, somehow, without having to ask. "It's weird. I know, it's really weird, but I think this is...just something that happened when I died. And then, it got stronger when I died again."

Jazz nodded at that, finally letting herself relax. "Yeah, ok. Well, if anything new happens, you'll talk to me, right?"

Danny looked at his sister, smiling a bit as he hoisted himself up to his feet. "I will. And I'm fine, I promise."

* * *

Star, on the other hand, wasn't fine. When Jazz had talked with her on the phone, she'd figured out that the younger teen needed help, and immediately. When she talked to her own parents about it, they said they could use any medical equipment they needed. What Jazz didn't know was that her parents followed her to Team Phantom's hideout and threatened to have it shut down. That threw a wrench into things.

"What's going on?" Star asked gently when Jazz returned. Her hands were locked in Paulina's; they must've talked while Jazz had went to talk to Danny.

"There was an..." Jazz tried to think of how to word it. "An issue. We'll figure it out."

Star nodded slowly, looking over to Paulina, who cleared her throat. "You're not taking Star to the hospital."

"Well, that's not really—"

"No," Paulina cut in. "Danny promised. You can't."

Jazz nodded slowly, thinking back to her parents. Sure, she could use their equipment, but they just tried to _shoot_ _Danny_ _down_. "Ok. Ok, I'll do my best. But she- you- need medical attention, and someone who knows what they're doing."

With that, Jazz got up again, her feet carrying her to the stairs that lead to the surface. This had to stop. Her parents needed to stop.

"Jasmine Rose Fenton," Maddie's tone was dangerous as she spoke, "get your brother and get out of here this instant."

Jazz froze, looking at her parents carefully. They stood next to their vehicle a few yards away, staring expectantly at her. Her mother looked like she'd been crying.

"No."

"What?" Jack asked. He didn't sound mad; he just sounded confused and disappointed. "Why?"

Jazz sucked in her breath, anger making her face go red. "You tried to shoot down my brother. Your son."

"Jazz, it wasn't like—"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," she growled, low and guttural.

Maddie's eyes shined with anger, her body stiffening. "That thing has taken control of him, Jazz. He's possessed! We need to extract it, and—"

"And experiment on him?" Jazz asked, hands shaking. "Experiment on your own son?"

"That _t_ _hing_ is not my son," Maddie's voice was low and dangerous. Jazz took a step forward, anger lashing at her features.

"Let's say," Jazz said through clenched teeth, "that he's not your son. You'd experiment on him?"

Maddie took a deep breath. She looked back at Jack, then at Jazz. "It doesn't feel pain, Jasmine—"

"Like hell he doesn't," Jazz yelled, taking a few stumbling steps back. "That's _Danny_ you're talking about! How could you- how—"

"That thing has you fooled, Jazz," Jack cut in, tone softer than his wife's. "He's fooled all of you."

Jazz shook her head. "No, you're wrong, and you almost hurt Danny because of it."

"We would never—" Jack tried.

"But you have. Over and over. And you almost did again," Jazz shook, turning around. "You need to leave."

"But—"

"Leave!" Jazz turned around to face them again, stomping her foot as she yelled. Her chest heaved, hot, angry tears streaming down her face.

Maddie was shocked, and she looked it. She looked around before huffing out a sigh and looking right at her daughter. "There's a sick girl in there. She needs help, but doesn't want the hospital, right?"

Jazz nodded slowly, and Jack took a small step forward. "Let us take her back, at least."

She tensed at that, not quite sure what to say. She shook her head slowly, looking down. "I'm not coming back, you know."

"I could've guessed," Maddie grumbled, drawing Jazz's gaze back up to her. "That's not why we're offering. She needs help, and we're able to do that. If you don't want to come back...just...promise me something."

Jazz cocked her head to the side. "What?"

"Promise nobody gets hurt. As irrational as this whole idea is...they're right. This group of teens knows more than even the GIW about ghost fighting. Just make sure nobody gets hurt," Maddie's breath was ragged as she finished. Her gaze never fell from Jazz's.

"Ok," Jazz sighed. "I wasn't planning on it. I'll bring Star and Paulina up, just wait here."

"Wait - why Paulina?" Jack asked carefully.

"Well, of course she wants to be with her girlfriend," Jazz said quickly, turning back to get the girls.

* * *

Danny had been deposited in an extra, sectioned off cavern that had been set up for any newcomers. While he felt better, both Sam and Valerie had insisted he try to lay down (and not run off to talk to anyone this time).

Everyone was running around trying to get things settled. After all, so _much_ had just happened. That left Danny by himself. Safe, but alone. Well... _almost_ alone.

"Phantom...?" Danny tested the word slowly, his voice a ghost of a whisper against the echoing concrete walls.

Right away, nobody responded. Then, quick and quiet, a small voice almost identical to his own spoke into his mind. _'H- hey.'_

Danny sat up straight, closing his eyes and smiling. "You're real!"

 _'Um...I sure hope so,'_ he chuckled lightly as he spoke. Danny decided he liked Phantom's laugh.

"I just..." Danny trailed off, sinking back to his bed and pulling his hands behind his head. He couldn't think of the right words. "I felt..."

 _'Crazy? Insane?'_ Phantom offered, earning a small snort from Danny.

"Yeah, pretty much."

 _'I'm sorry,'_ Phantom sounded so sad, and Danny wished he could reach out and hug him.

"No. Not your fault. There's no need to be sorry," Danny shushed his aching cores. They relaxed back into his chest a bit. "Though I think we might have given my parents a scare." Danny's chest went tight, anger flowing outwards into his body.

 _'They don't care about you. About us. If they really loved you, they'd let me keep protecting you,'_ each syllable stung Danny's aching mind. When Phantom's voice finally retreated, Danny whimpered a bit, curling in on himself.

"Why are you so angry," Danny sounded like a broken child, whining in pain.

 _'Why aren't you?'_ Phantom growled once more, and Danny hugged his knees to his chest, continuing to rock his body and whimper. His cores twisted in regret, pulling back for a few moments before returning to his mind carefully. _'I'm sorry.'_

Danny buried his head in tighter. "Why? You're right."

His cores hummed, considering his words. ' _Sure, but I didn't say it right. I just...'_

Danny nodded, understanding the feelings his cores sent him. Protection, love - a tender love like a parent would give a child. Danny let himself be held by it, sinking further into the air mattress.

"There's so much," Danny whispered, his mind swimming.

_'I know.'_

"Why didn't Clockwork...he could've told me about..." Danny trailed off, opening his eyes as his ghost sense went off. He turned himself around in bed, coming eye to eye with none other than the timekeeper himself. "Oh, uh, hey."

"Hello, Daniel," Clockwork said carefully, floating a few inches off the ground.

"What...what are you doing here?" Danny asked gently, eyes unblinking.

"You tell me, child. You're the one who summoned me," Clockwork tilted his head to the side. The timeless ghost could never look confused, but if Danny had to imagine what he might look like if he was, it would be this.

"I didn't..." Danny trailed off, prodding his cores gently only to find them...laughing? Yes, yes they were definitely laughing. Danny must have accidentally summoned Clockwork, somehow. He'd have to delve into that power later. "I guess I did. Sorry, since Phantom showed up, things have been...weird."

Clockwork nodded, smiling a bit. "You've met, then."

"Well, yeah. You've met him?" Danny asked.

Clockwork's expression flashed with sadness for a moment before he wiped it away. "I see all, remember? I met him before I even met you, Daniel."

"That...doesn't make any sense," Danny grumbled.

"I suppose it wouldn't," Clockwork chuckled, though he still seemed a little sad. Danny shifted a bit, sitting cross legged in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me he'd come back?" Danny asked, knowing he didn't have to explain that he was talking about Dan.

Clockwork sighed, his form flowing between different ages idly. "That was something you had to find out yourself. Things are..." he almost frowned before catching himself, "...going exactly as they should."

Danny nodded, gulping before looking down at the ground. "Is anyone going to die?"

"That depends," the elder ghost's voice was slow and careful. Tight. "You know you always have free will. There are many paths to be taken."

Danny clenched his fists below him, watching as a few tears fell between his fingers. He looked back up at Clockwork, determination painting his features. "I won't let anyone die. _I'll_ die before they do, I swear."

Clockwork's expression saddened once more before he straightened up, nodding. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Danny's face fell, more tears falling. "Why?"

Clockwork tensed, shaking his head a bit. "I'm afraid I've already said too much. I'm sorry, young Daniel."

Danny nodded, swallowing hard. "And let me guess, you have to go now?"

The elder ghost smiled, nodding a bit. "Smart boy. I must be heading back now." He started to fade from existence before he stopped, realizing something. "Daniel, I'm proud of you. I...never got to say that before."

"Oh," Danny's voice was small, though his face wore a wide smile. He nodded at the disappearing ghost, laughing a little. "I...thank you," he told the fading shadow of his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> The POV change kinda comes out of nowhere, I know, but I realized that there are handful of essential scenes that Danny won’t have access to, so I decided to incorporate the occasional scene from outside his scope. I try to make them feel as natural as possible, and I hope it’s not too jarring!
> 
> That aside, what does everyone think of recent developments? Don’t worry, things just crazier from here ;)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	16. Trained to Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny’s always recovering from something, but this time Phantom is able to be a little more involved
> 
> (I’ve got a question for everyone in the end notes!)

**Trained to Kill**

* * *

By the time things settled down in the bunker, Phantom had somehow lulled Danny into a steady sleep. That fell away when Sam, Jazz, and Valerie came in to check on him. The moment he heard Sam's combat boots stomping in, he was awake, sitting straight up in bed.

"I'm up," his words were breathless, turning wide eyes to the three teens. "What's going on? Where's Star and Paulina?"

Jazz looked right at Danny while Sam and Valerie — who was now in her civilian clothes — turned away. "They're with mom and dad."

"They're with—" Danny's cores twisted halfway through his sentence, his own voice and Phantom's coming out at the same time now. "They're with who?!"

"I'm sorry," Jazz's voice was almost silent. "I didn't know what else to do."

Danny took a deep breath, his cores twisting in regret. They pulled back into his chest, leaving Danny by himself with his fizzled anger. "I...didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry."

Jazz shook her head slowly, smiling a little. "You're fine. That wasn't just you, though, was it?"

Danny smiled a little. "No, it wasn't. He just...gets angry. Ever since I..." he bit his lip, shaking his head. "Ever since _he_ died again, he's been stronger, I think."

Sam looked up at Danny, face pained. "We left you alone."

"There was a lot going on," Danny shrugged, a memory pulled to his lips with a small smirk. "I mean, I did kind of add to it, I guess."

"What, you mean going and confronting Dash?" Jazz asked, a scolding tone lurking under her calm expression.

"Look, I just needed to—"

"Danny, that was so _stupid_ ," Jazz seethed, anger breaking through her face now. "What were you thinking? I mean, we were already handling everything with Star, and—"

"I know, but I just had to—"

"What you _had_ to do," Jazz shut her eyes, hissing her words, "was take care of yourself. Why can't you see that?" Her eyes snapped open, tears threatening to fall as she stared at her brother. "You keep putting yourself in danger."

Danny froze, finally understanding what Jazz was really upset about. "Dash wasn't going to hurt me. He can't anymore, even if he tried."

"And mom and dad?" Jazz asked, a few tears escaping. Her voice sounded pained.

"They were going to call the cops if I didn't talk to them," Danny shuddered a little, and Sam planted a hand on his shoulder after a few moments.

"They almost shot you down. They would've taken you and—" Sam started gently.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Danny yelled again, his cores whirling within him. They were trying to calm him down, but it wasn't working. "They would've _hurt_ _him_! And I—" Danny's voice broke, and he fell to the mattress lightly. He hadn't even realized he'd been floating. "I can't protect him. I can't protect anyone..."

"Phantom—" Valerie stepped forward.

"That's not my name," Danny growled. Phantom was still trying to calm him down, though there was some sadness in the action. _Pity_. "That's his, now."

Valerie nodded slowly. "Ok...Fenton," she offered, smiling when Danny didn't talk back. "You know you saved the world, right?"

"I didn't—"

"Yes, you did," Valerie sat down on the bed next to him, Sam following suit while Jazz took a few steps towards him. He reminded himself he wasn't being cornered, cores helping him relax. "You did that. A few times, too. That wasn't Phantom, was it?"

Danny's eyes were wet. He shook his head slowly. "N- no. He doesn't like to...come out often..."

"So, that was you," Sam picked up Valerie's sentiment, rubbing her hand into Danny's shoulder. He leaned into her touch. "You've protected so many people. You saved so much. Just because the threats are getting bigger doesn't make you any less of a hero."

 _Hero_. The word hung in the air. Phantom was hugging Danny tight. _'You're so good,'_ he reassured, voice light as it echoed in Danny's brain. _'You're the hero. Not me, you. You're so good, so so good.'_

"You're all wrong..." Danny sniffled, wiping his eyes quickly before looking back at his friends. "I'm no good. Defective. Don't call me a hero because really, I'm just broken and trying to..." Danny closed his eyes and looked down at shaking hands. "I don't even know what I'm doing. I'm not a hero."

Jazz hummed, drawing Danny's attention back to her. "We're not gonna convince you otherwise, are we?" Danny laughed nervously, shaking his head a little. "Well...just know you're alone in holding that _very_ _wrong_ opinion, ok?"

Danny looked at the three teens, their expressions flashing with certainty. Phantom pressed against his chest, offering someone to lean on. Danny took the offer, letting himself relax under their gazes.

"Ok," Danny smiled at them before jumping out of bed effortlessly, floating to the ground softly. "So what's happening now?"

* * *

Jazz explained that she and Danny were not going back to Fenton Works, and Danny didn't argue with her on the topic. He knew they couldn't go back there, at least not now. Star was there getting medical attention — Maddie was a trained medical doctor, after all — and Paulina was with her, meaning two spots had opened up on the board. Apparently, there had been some talk of electing either Sam, Valerie, or Jazz, which made all three a little nervous, though Danny didn't see why. They were all well qualified.

"Well," Jazz hesitated, stopping in the hallway for a moment. The other three teens stopped as well, watching as she began to ponder the idea. "It _would_ be nice to inform a larger group of people. We all do know a lot about ghost fighting."

"You know," Sam chuckled a little, turning to Danny, "Wes brought up you and the Red Huntress, but that got vetoed pretty quick. Everyone knows you already have enough going on."

"Yeah," Danny snorted, "no kidding."

They continued walking, the three teenage girls taking turns explaining how the new Team Phantom had collected themselves. Apparently, when the Fentons showed up, the teens had been thrown into disarray. Meg had been making a few calls to the other board members to make sure everything got handled quickly when Valerie and Danny interrupted, meaning the board members had no clue what to do for a while. That resulted in some people hiding and going into lockdown, others preparing for a fight, and the rest running around and looking for anyone to group up with. Meg finally had everyone meet in the main cavern, explaining the situation and dismissing them. That gave Valerie, Sam, and Jazz the chance to check in on Danny again.

"Wow," Danny chuckled a little, rounding the corner into the main training hall. "That's kinda funny— hey, why's everyone in here?"

Danny looked around at the dozen teens scattered across the room, all engaged in some sort of training. He'd only gone there to practice his new summoning power, hopefully on Frostbite, who was still due to arrive any minute.

"Dude," a familiar voice came from Danny's left, and he turned to find Tucker smiling at him. "It's a bunch of teens. Do you really think we're gonna go to bed early?"

"Tuck!" Danny threw his arms around his best friend, giving a tight squeeze before pulling back. "What're you doing here? Isn't it illegal and everything?"

Tucker smiled, throwing his arm around Danny's shoulder and leaning in to whisper. "That's why I quit."

"You _what_?" Jazz and Sam asked at the same time. Danny could only stand and look at Tucker while Valerie laughed a little.

"No way, Foley! Stick it to 'em!" Valerie joked, raising her fist in the air and continuing to chuckle while Danny, Sam, and Jazz just stared.

"No, this isn't a good thing!" Sam said, sending a pointed look to Valerie. "And I actually _enjoy_ sticking it to the man."

"Yeah, Tucker," Jazz said in a low voice, as if discussing a secret. "You were our connection to the mayor's office. Now, it's up to the Fentons alone."

Tucker pulled his arm from Danny, shaking his head with a small smirk. "I've got connections going all the way up. I can explain tomorrow, but I've had a...long day."

Danny almost didn't notice the edge to Tucker's tone at the end; the other teens didn't catch on at all. Covering for his friend, Danny smiled and nodded.

"Ok, sure. It's good to see you, buddy," Danny nudged Tucker with his arm playfully, eliciting a small laugh from them both.

"So, I figured I'd find you here at night. What're you training today, huh?" Tucker asked, looking around at the largely unoccupied cavern.

Flood lights lined the walls, providing enough light to train by. Again, he wondered where they got the funding for this, and how Meg could have possibly gotten everything together so quickly, though he shoved the thought aside. Now more than ever, he needed to train.

"Well, I was gonna train a new power..." Danny trailed off, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea with so many people. "That's fine, though. I can always use some hand to hand combat training."

Sam's face split into a smile and she nodded quickly. "Yes. I _love_ hand to hand!"

Danny nodded, finding a large open space. Few of the others paid the group any attention, and those who did went back to what they were doing quick enough. Sam looked over the shelf of combat tools before shaking her head and turning back to Danny.

"Oh, I'm gonna whoop your ass, Phantom," her smile leaked into her voice.

"Ahem," Danny let himself slip out for a moment, Phantom flashing his silver eyes before letting Danny take over again.

"Oh, uh, sorry?" Sam asked carefully before Danny burst out laughing, his friends following.

"Don't worry, he's just messing with you," Danny wheezed a bit, calming down now. "Come on, let's get started."

Danny didn't transform, simply taking a fighting stance. His friends circled around him, having helped him with hand to hand before.

"Ready?" Jazz asked from behind him, her voice taught with a smirk.

"Always," Danny hardly let the word out before he felt Tucker lunge from his left, intuition kicking into gear. The halfa leaped into the air, doing a somersault and landing on the other side of a very confused Tucker.

"Boo," Danny said lightly before grabbing Tucker's arm, pinning him down to the ground. That was their way of getting the other 'out'. He let his friend go, eyes moving to his other friends.

Before thinking, Danny lunged at Valerie, later realizing his instinct knew she was the most skilled of the group. She smiled when she saw him coming, getting ready for a roundhouse kick. Danny let her leg phase through him, though she was expecting that, grabbing at his arm as well and swinging him around. Danny looked at her with wide eyes as he began to fall, triumph sparkling in Valerie's eyes. _Not_ _yet_.

Danny fell through the ground, letting the cement embrace him for a few moments. With a small laugh, he launched himself out of the ground, punching Valerie at half strength in the gut. Even holding back, he got her to stumble, almost falling over.

"Ah ah ah," Danny scolded, floating above them with his arms crossed. "Not so fast, Val."

Valerie scowled playfully, taking up a fighting stance again. "Bring it, Inviso-Bill!"

Sam and Jazz snickered at that, causing Danny's face to go red. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that one, Gray," Danny growled lightly, coming down and landing across from her in a fighting stance. "What do ya got?"

Valerie flashed him a dangerous smile, charging towards him and swiping under his legs. Danny shot into the air, twisting as he felt Valerie's hand coming towards his stomach. He dodged it narrowly, doing a quick flip midair and grabbing her arm on the way down. He fell hard, pulling her arm until her hand hit the ground, body following as she collapsed with a heavy _oof_.

"Not fair," she grumbled as Danny turned towards his sister and girlfriend, who were just finishing a shared look. He had a bad feeling about that.

Jazz charged first, fists coming up to her face. Danny knew her specialties were hooks and elbows, so he ducked low, readying to grab her arm. Before he could do so, though, Sam grabbed his shoulder, pulling him right towards Jazz's solid right hook. He stumbled back, twisting into the air and away from the girls.

"Jeez," Danny smiled, breath soft on his lips. This was a good workout.

He lunged back down towards Jazz, phasing through the ground at her feet and lingering below the cement for a few moments. His intuition crackled along his spine, alerting him when Jazz was where he wanted her. He flew upward, holding his hands to her feet and encasing them in a thick layer of ice.

"Hey!" she shrieked, tugging on her feet without any success. "Danny!"

"What, _cold_ _feet_?" Danny asked, chuckling in the air as he turned to Sam. She smirked up at him, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Don't underestimate me, Ghost Boy," Sam's voice was low and smooth, molasses rolling in the air.

"Oh, I never do," Danny grinned back, the words falling out as he readied himself for an attack.

He flew down, feigning a right hook. Sam saw right through the trick, twisting to avoid his left upper cut. She kicked her right foot outward, catching Danny's ankle and sending him stumbling back a few steps.

"Watch out, I wouldn't want you," Sam winked, " _falling_ for me."

She fell low to the ground, kicking out her foot again in an attempt to trip him up. If not for his intuition, Danny would have never expected her to use the same move twice in a row. He phased into the ground, bringing his hands to her foot and grabbing on. With a quick flash, he froze her ankle to the ground, floating back up through the ground and landing gently.

"Wow!" Danny smiled, looking around at his friends and wiping sweat from his forehead. "That one was actually really close. Nice!"

A silent moment went by before the room erupted in applause, the sound amplifying itself against the concrete walls. Danny stiffened, looking past his friends to the other teens in the training room. They had all dropped what they were doing, and a few had come in from other rooms to watch. Danny felt a flush rise up his neck.

"Oh, uh, hey?" he breathed lightly, watching as his peers looked at him in awe, their applause finally fading.

"That was amazing!" a lanky redhead stumbled forward, smiling widely. "I'm, uh, Wes, I—"

"Yeah, Wes," Danny chuckled under his breath, shaking his head a little. "I remember you. We've been in the same classes since middle school."

Wes' face went red, hands fidgeting in front of him. "Uh, yeah, right! Um, could you...like, train me?"

Danny looked at his classmate, face flushing. "Oh, uh, I don't know, I—"

A resounding wave of agreement came from the other teens, all talking over one another asking if Danny would train them as well.

"Look!" he finally yelled, Phantom amplifying his voice. Everyone got quiet, waiting for Danny's next words. He didn't even realize he'd lifted himself off then ground again, but this time he leaned into it, still in human form. "We don't have time for this!"

The silence continued, leaving Danny to pace idly in the air, thinking out loud. "He'll be here soon, and nobody— _nobody_ knows what he's capable of. He's probably bringing reinforcements. He's going to win. He's going to win. He's _fucking_ going to—"

"Phantom?" Wes asked quietly.

"That's not my name!" Danny snapped back, stopping when he recognized the _fear_ in his eyes. In all of their eyes. "I'm sorry. I..."

"Hey," Valerie called out, drawing his attention back down to her. "Stay with me, ok?"

Danny almost nodded before another wave of anxiety washed over his senses, the hopelessness of the situation drowning him. Before he could fall out of the air, Phantom caught his body, taking over his vision and movements once more.

"I'm here," Phantom's voice fluttered more than Danny's, soft and gentle. "He needs a break."

"Ok," Valerie said slowly. "Phantom?"

"Uh, yeah," he chuckled lightly, blinking his no doubt silver eyes a few times and smiling. "I think it's time to wrap up."

"Wait, so...Danny? Is he...are you ok?" Wes' voice was so quiet, Danny almost couldn't hear it. Phantom certainly didn't miss it, though.

"We can't train you," Phantom boomed, turning to look over all the teens. "This is happening _soon_. Danny needs time to get ready. I'm sorry."

A murmur of confusion filled Danny's senses, and he whimpered against his cores. _'Don't worry,'_ Phantom reassured, a soft purr humming in his chest. _'I'll take care of you, ok?'_

Danny let the whimper in his throat die, deciding to relax and let Phantom take care of this. After all, he knew what he was doing. Danny's senses shut off, Phantom taking complete control as he was embraced by darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! What do you think?
> 
> So! Strange question, but I’m at a point in my writing where I can make one of two choices - either this fic is going to be a long, drawn out, slow to the point but dramatic story, or it will be quick, intense, overwhelming but strong in the message. My question is what you all would prefer? I’m completely stumped, so any input is appreciated!
> 
> Thank you to everyone for reading this story - I always look forward to checking the comments and the growing kudos :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	17. Fast Asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phantom takes control of the situation and ends up finding out more about himself

**Fast Asleep**

* * *

Phantom let out a hasty breath when he felt Danny fall away, slipping into some sort of a sleep. He nodded, turning to his friends and freeing them from the ice. Tucker couldn't stop staring at him. They hadn't been properly introduced, after all. Jazz and Sam both gave him a quick hug, whispering soft reminders in his ear. Valerie watched the other teens, sending dangerous glares to anyone who dared get close. With one final nod, Phantom led them out of the training room, the students parting for him as he walked.

"Are you—" Jazz started as soon as they got back to Danny's room.

"I'm fucking pissed," Phantom threw himself into a pace, walking past his friends as they just stood back and watched. "Those kids! How can they expect him to- to—"

"I don't know," Sam took a step forward, meeting Phantom's silver eyes. He knew they were startling, glowing in her direction like headlights. Sam didn't seem startled, though. He smiled a little. "What...why are you smiling?"

"Oh, sorry, I just..." Phantom trailed off, blowing the hair out of his face idly. He let out a low hum, thinking of how to explain himself. "You're not freaked out at all?"

"Um, no? Should I be?" her head cocked to the side, a small smile lingering on her lips.

"No, sorry, I just—" Phantom took a sharp breath in, cutting himself off. His parents' horrified, disgusted faces flashed in front of his eyes, sending him stumbling a bit. _Not my parents_ , he reminded himself, _his parents_. He shook his head, right hand shooting against his pounding temple.

"Phantom? You ok?" Sam asked slowly, drawing his attention back to her.

"Oh, yeah," Phantom laughed shakily, hand trailing down the side of his face before settling at his side. "I'm just not used to being in charge. Doing everything and handling his emotions is..." his voice fell to a whisper, " _really_ hard."

" _His_ emotions?" Jazz asked shakily. "Just how _intense_ are his emotions?"

Phantom eyed her slowly, his head growing warm and fuzzy from Danny's residual memories. "He's good at them. Better than most people think. He'll be ok."

"That's not what I asked," Jazz was shaking a little. Phantom had a dangerous realization as he watched her reddened eyes glaze over in worry.

"When was the last time you slept?" Phantom asked slowly, watching as Jazz closed her eyes.

"There's been a lot going on and I—"

"Go to bed," Phantom said softly, taking a step towards his surrogate sister. She looked up at him, smiling a little. "I'm taking care of him now, ok? You're off the hook for a little bit."

"You should know I'm never off the hook," she chuckled lightly, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes idly. "But I could use some sleep...you're sure—?"

"Positive," Phantom smiled at her, watching as she nodded and sent him one final thanks, leaving Sam, Tucker, Valerie, and Phantom alone. Phantom turned back to Danny's friends, offering them a small smile. "Uh, so I think—"

"Dude, that was awesome!" Tucker jumped forward a bit, taking Phantom by surprise. "I've never seen anyone talk Jazz down that easy, how'd you do that?"

Phantom chuckled nervously, eyes shifting to Sam and Valerie before he looked back at Tucker. "She trusts me, I think? I couldn't tell you why, though."

"Well duh," Valerie interjected, Phantom's attention snapping to her. "Phantom, you might as well be _oozing_ power. Anyone would be stupid to mess with you or Danny right now."

Phantom looked down at Danny's hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't his body, it was _Danny's_. Even so, his own power flowed through the muscles, readily deplorable at any moment. Valerie was right; Phantom was _powerful_.

"I scared those kids, didn't I?" Phantom asked, locking eyes with Sam as her face fell a little.

"It's fine, we just have to explain—" she tried to respond.

"No," Phantom's voice crackled with electricity, causing the others to tense. "They don't need this. Danny's reputation doesn't need this. I'm a loose canon, and I need to go."

" _What_?" Valerie and Sam asked at the same time. Phantom met Tucker's eyes, a silent understanding passing between the two of them.

"It's too much attention, isn't it?" Tucker finally spoke, allowing Phantom to nod in response. "I get it, buddy. Where are we going?"

"Not to Fenton Works," Valerie was quick to jump on the idea, fidgeting with her hands anxiously. "Star and Paulina are there, but it's not a good idea to join them."

"I know that," Phantom's low growl was icy cold, causing the other teens to shiver in unison. He was turning the room into a refrigerator, he realized, taking a few unneeded deep breaths to stop his power from leaking out. "Sorry, I don't mean to make it so cold, I'm just..." he clenched his fists to his sides to keep them from shaking, " _pissed the fuck off_."

"Yeah, you and me both," Valerie growled in return, matching Phantom's intensity. The ghost looked at her, smiling gratefully. He liked this one's charisma.

"Did they really..." Sam swallowed hard, closing her eyes and shaking her head quickly. "Did they really try to shoot you down?"

Silence painted the air for a few moments. Sam finally opened her eyes again, looking right at Phantom as he nodded slowly. "They want to destroy me," his words were too heavy as they fell from his lips.

"That's not happening," Tucker stomped his foot, all eyes going to him. He looked at Phantom with a crazed look, an idea swimming in his eyes. "I know where we're going, but we need to spend the night here first. Can you handle one more night?"

Phantom hesitated, relenting with a firm nod. "Sure. But you'd better get him somewhere safe, ok?"

Tucker's smile widened, hand shooting to his pocket and retrieving his PDA. "Oh, trust me, nobody's touching my best friend. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Tucker wouldn't give out any details on where he wanted them to go, though Phantom didn't mind horribly. He trusted the teen. After all, if Danny could trust him, that was more than enough for the ghost. Sam and Valerie went to bed reluctantly after some convincing from Phantom, and Tucker headed to an empty room to plan their next move. That left Phantom by himself, staring down at glowing silver hands as he floated above his bed.

"Frostbite?" he asked gently into the air, letting his voice echo just a bit. "Have you arrived yet?"

"Great One," Frostbite's voice came from behind Phantom, causing him to twist hastily. "You called?"

"Wow, that's..." Phantom looked down at his still shimmering hands, a small smile dancing across his features. "That's so cool!"

"Ah, a new power, I see?" Frostbite asked with a chuckle in his voice. He was smiling at Phantom, a deep knowing lingering in his eyes.

"Yeah, I—" Phantom cut himself off, a frown springing today his face. " _He_ figured it out the other day, with Clockwork."

Frostbite's face fell, understanding passing under his features. "Daniel summoned the time keeper on his first try?"

Phantom chuckled, thinking about Danny. "Yeah, the kid's tough. And powerful."

"But not as powerful as you," Frostbite pointed out, causing Phantom to inhale sharply. "When did you develop a personality?"

"I..." Phantom's eyebrows drew together. "I don't know. I think I've always been here, I was just always watching. But now..."

"Now?" Frostbite picked up, offering Phantom a supportive nod.

"Now, he needs me, Frostbite," Phantom let a breath, letting intensity pour into his voice. "He's gone through so much."

"I know," Frostbite floated closer, clawed icy hand grazing over the scar that wrapped around the back of Danny's neck. "I was there."

"There's been more," Phantom growled, silvery aura intensifying. "His parents—"

"I know. I've heard."

Phantom's aura ceased, heat rising into his blood as his anger grew. "You heard? Who—"

"Phantom," Frostbite cut in, somehow knowing his name already, "the other ghosts can feel Dan stirring. They're paying _very_ close attention to you."

Phantom stilled, the anger flushing from his system. Another emotion replaced it, and it took him too long to realize it was fear. "They are?"

Frostbite let out a low hum, considering his next words carefully. "You have a much bigger role to play than you can imagine, Phantom, and the others can sense it."

Phantom's head hurt, an overload of human emotions and thoughts crashing against his skull. "What do you mean? I'm not important. _He's_ the important one."

Frostbite smiled a little at him again, a sad knowing in his eyes. "And how long will he live? A century? Maybe two, with your help? You and I both know that's nothing in the grand scheme of things."

Phantom tensed. He hadn't exactly put much thought into how long Danny would live. The notion of continuing to exist without him _hurt_ , sharp and slashing against his temples.

"I know, you don't want to think about that now, do you?" Frostbite's tone was small and understanding. Phantom nodded gently, careful not to move his head too much. "Well, it's not important at the moment, I suppose. What _is_ important is that we solidify a plan moving forward."

Phantom nodded once more, straightening up and forcing a confident facade. "We don't know when Dan is coming back. My guess is he's recruiting people."

"You're right," Frostbite sighed. "He's acquired a small, but dangerous, army. He's aware of how powerful you are, Great One, and he is taking proper precautions."

Phantom seethed, anger pouring off of him again. "He's not going to hurt anyone. I won't let him."

"There it is," Frostbite shook his head slowly, worry painting his face.

"What?" Phantom snapped before catching himself. He took an instinctive, unnecessary deep breath to calm himself. "There _what_ is?"

"Your obsession," Frostbite said it like it should have made sense, but the word just confused Phantom more.

"Huh?"

"Every ghost has one," Frostbite explained, smiling a little to himself. "Mine is to train heroes. It's my purpose — what drives me forward. Many ghosts have malicious tendencies, but the rest are either neutral or even benevolent. Your obsession though...it's unlike anything I've seen before."

Phantom swallowed hard, a metallic taste lingering on his tongue. "How so?"

"It comes from Danny's psyche," the elder ghost explained carefully. "Ghosts are not traditionally emotional beings, but Danny's innate _aliveness_ infused his emotions into both of your cores. You are destined to be a bridge between us and the humans, and your protective obsession will aid you in that destiny."

Phantom was shaking. The emotions he just assumed had always been Danny's...did that make them his own, too? "Why didn't that happen to Vlad?" his voice was soft, gritty as electricity passed through it.

"He wasn't a strong human," Frostbite sounded bitter, tone biting hard. "And his ghost was too evil for his own good. No, that fire cored little—"

"Fire?" Phantom cut in, his own cores twisting at the mention. His thoughts flew to Dan, putting the pieces together painfully. "Are you telling me Dan has...an ice and a fire core?"

Frostbite's expression darkened. "Why do you think he's so powerful?"

Phantom's skin sparked, anger pacing his essence. This wasn't Danny's anger — this was _his_ anger, and he wasn't letting go. "I did this."

"No, Phantom, you didn't—"

"It's me who fused with Vlad's core," Phantom's voice broke, eyes misting as he kept them on Frostbite's. "I'm the one who wasn't strong enough to fight him."

Frostbite considered the younger ghost's words carefully. "You're stronger now. You've gained an electricity core, and Daniel has matured greatly, has he not?"

Phantom knew he was right, but his head still pounded painfully at the idea of facing Dan. It was going to happen, and _soon_ , but he wasn't ready. Maybe he'd never be ready.

"I think..." Phantom's eyes dropped, a small chuckle falling to his lips. "Danny's tried. Or his body is, anyways..." he let out a slow yawn, arms stretching over his head.

"Of course, Great One," Frostbite offered him a small smile, gesturing to the air mattress. "Sleep well, we will patrol tonight and wake you up if anything happens."

Phantom nodded, feeling Danny smiling across his mind. He was having a good dream. "Danny will be in touch soon. I think I need to step back until I can control myself better."

Frostbite pursed his lips at that, concern coloring his face at Phantom's words. "Of course. We will meet again, Phantom."

With that, Frostbite faded from existence, leaving Phantom by himself. Flopping down into the air mattress, he let sleep envelope him, something the ghost had never felt himself. He liked it, he decided, drifting off and letting Danny take control once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Writing from Phantom’s POV was really fun, I’m not gonna lie. I really hope you like how his character is developing, but let me know!!
> 
> Also, I’ve decided to go with a longer, more sprawling story. I write a few chapters ahead of what I post, so I’m already writing down that path and I’m so excited for what’s to come :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	18. Wake Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get tense, but in a really ‘wow these are just kids holy shit’ way :)

**Wake Up Call**

* * *

Danny sat straight up in bed, a nightmare that wasn't his slipping away from his mind. He almost reached out for it, only for Phantom's presence to stop him.

 _'No,'_ his voice was panicked in Danny's mind, _'leave it. That's mine. You don't need that.'_

Danny let his breathing slow, wiping the sweat from his face hastily. "Yours?"

 _'Mine,'_ Phantom reassured, tone fragile. He was in the brink of breaking. _'I'm sorry.'_

"No," Danny laughed a little, anxiety flushing over his senses. "You're fine, don't apologize."

Phantom hummed back into his chest, taking the nightmare with him. He was alone again. Grabbing his pounding chest, Danny looked around, relaxing upon remembering where he was and why. Flipping his phone open, he groaned at the time. It was just after three in the morning — seventeen minutes to be exact.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Danny grumbled, letting his head hit the mattress once more. He closed his eyes and laid there for a few minutes, attempting to bring himself back to sleep. The blankets on top of him were too warm, and the air mattress was too cold. Deciding he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he threw the blankets off of himself, floating off the bed and to the floor.

With long, swift strides, he made his way to the training room, trying to hold back his surprise when he saw a few other teens still up and training. With a start, he realized he recognized each person, scanning them over quickly.

Nat was the first one he noticed — a classmate Danny had talked to in passing for years. They were wielding a pair of long knives, green ooze dripping off and hissing as it hit the ground. They didn't pay Danny a second glance, focused completely on the straw dummy they were maiming.

Next, he turned his attention to Wes, who had two wads of tissue up his nose, no doubt due to hitting himself from the recoil again. He was holding an ecto-gun, firing at a target across the compound over and over again. Next to him was Marla, spotting him and periodically shifting his gun in his hands.

Finally, Danny turned to the farthest corner, blood pounding loud in his ears. _Dash_. He was hefting a glowing green club, pounding into a straw mannequin. Danny almost stepped towards him, stopping himself as he looked over at Wes instead. He'd made too many mistakes, he realized, guilt sinking into his bones.

"Hey," Danny breathed out as he approached the redhead, wincing as he flinched back.

"Oh, uh, Phantom! Fenton? Ugh, I'm so sorry for bugging you earlier, I know I didn't really have the right to—" Wes began rambling, speaking with his hands.

"Hey," Danny interrupted, smiling at both Wes and Marla, "it's fine. Earlier I had some... _stuff_ going on. I'm really sorry for snapping at you."

Wes relaxed a little, though Marla looked like she was ready to pass out. "You're Danny Phantom, holy _shit_ ," she muttered to herself, hands flying to her face as she gasped sputtering breaths too fast.

"Woah, breathe, you're fine," Danny patted her on the back, which only seemed to make her worse. Lifting his hand away, he backed up, giving her a few seconds to breathe. When she finally caught her breath, Danny smiled at her, watching as she smiled back, red faced.

"Sorry," she smiled, awkwardly bowing before Wes doubled over in laughter.

"Marla! Just...chill!" Wes smiled at his friend, sputtering when she scowled at him.

"Hey, you'd be the same if you got to meet the unmasked Red Huntress," Marla muttered back, face going bright red as soon as she realized what she'd said. "Oh, shoot! I didn't mean- Wes stop laughing! I'm so sorry Danny, I just—"

"It's fine," Danny chuckled nervously, rubbing his hand to the back of his neck out of habit. "Honestly, don't worry. But, uh, I should say hi to someone else..." he side eyed Dash, who was still pounding away, having not noticed Danny's presence.

"Oh! Uh, of course! Go ahead!" Marla waved frantically, her caramel hair tangling in her fingers as she swore under her breath. "Goddamnit, I need to get this cut I swear..."

Danny chuckled, shaking his head as he turned away, feeling a little better after talking with his peers. Hopefully the rest of them wouldn't be too afraid of him.

"Hey, Dash," Danny's voice cracked a little, and he cleared it as the jock turned towards him quickly, almost knocking him over with his club. Luckily, Danny lunged back, narrowly avoiding a strike to the chest. "Woah, I know I pissed you off, but—"

"Shit, Fenton!" Dash threw the club aside, chest heaving as he eyed Danny carefully. "What are you doing here?"

Danny shuffled a bit, eyes going down to his hands as they fiddled with each other. "I just...well, I kinda came here to train, but since you're here..."

"Just spit it out," Dash's voice was low and tired. Danny looked back at him, nodding slowly and sighing again.

"I'm sorry I made you talk about...well, you know..." he spat out, words tasting strange on his lips. He didn't know how to feel about apologizing to Dash, despite the fact that he knew the jock deserved one.

Dash's lips twitched, like he was holding back a few choice words. After a few moments, he let out a low grumble, words almost inaudible as he spoke. "It's fine."

"No, it's not," Danny's voice was tight with guilt. "That was... _really_ personal. I'm sorry."

Dash gulped, looking at the ground and offering a small nod. "S'ok."

Danny nodded back, knowing he wouldn't get anymore from the jock. "So...you need any help training?" he asked hesitantly.

"Go away," Dash chuckled a little, finally looking back up at him. His tone was almost joking, which made Danny feel a little better.

"You've got it," Danny smiled, nodding and turning around. Finally, the knot that had been building in his stomach had loosened, if only a little.

* * *

By the time the original Team Phantom was ready to leave, it was already after eleven the next morning. Meg had called a meeting, opening it up for Danny to make an announcement. As he stepped up to the podium, his heart pounded at an almost human rate. He swallowed hard.

"Thank you," Danny's voice came out a loud boom with assistance from Phantom. "For everything. What's coming is dangerous, but Amity Park is in good hands with this new Team Phantom."

A series of whoops and hollers cascaded around him, pulling a smile to his face. A few of his peers still looked a little spooked by Danny, a dagger twisting in his stomach at the realization. He'd scared them. Maybe it was Phantom. Either way, he had to prove himself. He wouldn't let them down, not again.

It wasn't long after his address that they left, Sam and Valerie flanking Tucker, Jazz, and Danny as they walked out of the compound. Danny knew he was missing details as they passed, but his mind felt foggy, like he was fighting off a nightmare with every waking breath. Phantom kept shifting in his chest, a nervous energy pulling at him. Danny pushed the anxiety aside, letting Tucker's voice fade back into his attention.

"We'll need to disarm some of the traps, but we can re-arm them as soon as we're settled. My guess is Dan won't target Amity Park if Danny isn't there. He's the one he's after and all," Tucker explained, shifting in his seat. Jazz had somehow gotten ahold of the Specter Speeder, and Danny wasn't in the state of mind to question her about it.

"Wait, where is this again? Phantom didn't tell me," Danny chuckled nervously, fiddling with his seatbelt. Sam was on the other side of him, Jazz driving and Valerie having taken shotgun.

"Oh, I didn't tell Phantom," Tucker smirked a little, "he didn't ask. We're going to Vlad's old place."

"Wait, _what_?" Danny sputtered, eyes going wide while his friends both laughed a little. "What's so funny? We can't go to Vlad's!"

"It was condemned after Vlad... _you know_ ," Sam explained, tone darkening at the end. "Tucker took a look at the satellites, and nobody's done anything more than rope it off. The GIW were gonna go in and disable everything, but they're a little busy now..."

Danny nodded, considering the idea. "Tuck, you're sure Dan won't go to Amity Park?"

"Well, if they do, you can be there in five minutes at top speed," Tucker prodded at his PDA, flashing Danny a series of numbers and equations. "Besides, with all the reinforcements, they'll be able to hold off long enough."

"But five minutes is—" Danny started.

"A necessary sacrifice to keep you safe _now_ ," Sam interrupted, elbowing her boyfriend softly. "You're not safe there."

"Why do you say that?" Danny grumbled, idly rubbing circles over his core. He tensed, not quite sure when he started doing that. He dropped his hand slowly, hoping his friends didn't notice.

"Hah, good one," Sam chortled. She was trying to be ok for Danny; he could tell.

"You know I'm fine, right?" Danny's tone was tighter than he'd meant for it to be. He cleared his throat, hoping to strip some of the tension. "I just mean...if you guys are stressed, you don't have to act like you're not."

Both Sam and Tucker fell silent, and upon closer inspection, Danny realized that both of their smiles had wavered. "We're not—" Tucker started.

"Yeah," Danny laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "You are. But it's fine, ok? We're all stressed. I mean... _Dan is back_."

That shut all of them up for a good minute or two, the teen ghost hunters all lost in thought. Danny couldn't stop thinking about Dan, his voice slithering down his spine. Now, they were going to Vlad's. He knew Vlad wasn't fully evil, but it was his evil that turned Phantom into that _thing_. Danny shivered, letting out a puff of electricity and frost in a small hiccup.

"You ok?" Sam asked gently, lacing her fingers through his. Danny's face heated up, a small smile growing on his lips.

"Yeah, just thinking," Danny sighed, giving Sam's hand a quick squeeze. Her cheeks flushed red, eyelids fluttering shut a little. "You're tired?"

Sam shook her head, though a yawn betrayed her. Danny took his hand from her's, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her head to his shoulder. She sank into his side, wrapping an arm around him and holding on tight. With a start, he realized that with everything going on, the two of them had hardly had any time alone together. He missed his girlfriend.

"Oh, get a room, you two," Tucker teased, letting out a yawn himself.

"Oh, come on in here," Danny pulled Tucker against his side, letting Phantom heat his skin a little with a little electricity. Tucker squeaked, letting out a sharp laugh.

"Dude!"

"What? Let's just..." Danny tightened his arm around Sam, letting his other arm rest over Tucker's shoulder limply. "Let's just take a little nap, ok?"

Tucker yawned again, relenting and letting himself lean against his friend. Sam nuzzled into his side, and Danny's eyes drifted closed slowly.

* * *

"Are they asleep?" Jazz asked Valerie, eyes still trained on the road in front of them. She'd turned the Speeder's camouflage on, letting it pass as a typical SUV.

Valerie turned back, shaking her head and smiling a little as she turned to Jazz once more. "Yep," she popped the 'p'.

"Good," Jazz blew a few stray red hairs out of her face. "Apparently he was up and about at 3 this morning, and I know for a fact Sam and Tucker didn't sleep at all."

"Oh?" Valerie chuckled a little, shaking her head. "Your brother is a weirdo, you know."

"Yeah," Jazz laughed, snorting a little at the end; she didn't have the energy to suppress it. "Did you sleep ok, at least?"

Valerie's silence was enough of an answer, causing the older teen to let out a low sigh. "Hey, I'll be fine," Valerie assured her, fiddling with a stray strand of curly hair. "I just have some stuff to figure out."

Jazz cocked an eyebrow, a frown falling to her lips. "Oh?"

"Well, nothing much," Valerie explained, tone full of regret. "I screwed up my relationship."

Jazz nodded. She'd been keeping her ear to the ground to make sure misinformation didn't spread, and had heard that Valerie and Meg had broken up, though nobody seemed to know why. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking, I mean."

Valerie gnawed on her lip for a few moments before letting out a long breath. "She didn't know I'm the Red Huntress, and when I saved Danny from your parents...she kinda found out."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I _know_."

Jazz pondered her next words carefully, nodding when she finally knew what to say. "You know, maybe you both just need some more time."

Valerie nodded, swallowing hard and turning to look out the window. "Yeah, but what if we don't have time?"

"What do you mean?" Jazz's response was immediate, confusion coloring her voice.

"I just..." Valerie gulped back a sob, shaking hands resting in her lap. "I'm ready to die protecting Danny if I need to. And... _why_ do I feel like I'll need to?"

That stunned Jazz into silence, her thoughts racing too quick for her sleep deprived mind. Four hours wasn't enough to process this on. "Wait...are you telling me...what do you mean you're ready to _die_ for him?"

Valerie couldn't keep the tears in anymore, letting them drip and collect at her chin. "I owe it to him, you know."

"Val—"

"It's true, alright?!" Valerie whipped her head towards Jazz, voice nipping at her defensively. "I almost _killed_ him. Over and over and over—"

"Stop it—"

"And he just kept on—"

"Hey, calm down, you're—"

"And he still saved me!" Valerie yelled with finality, hot tears falling down her shirt. "He..." her voice cracked, dropping to a hissing whisper. "He saved all of us, _despite_ me. Not _with_ me. I'm not letting that happen again."

Again, Jazz was wordless. She took an exit on the right, listening to the blinker and attempting to soothe her racing thoughts. "That's not your job. It's _none_ of your jobs. You... _we_...are all just kids."

Valerie let out a humorless laugh, leaning her head against the window. "Yeah, I know. It's fucked up, but it's on us."

Jazz didn't have it in her to argue. Valerie was right, after all. With one final deep breath, she reached out and turned on the radio, changing it to old alternative rock. Since she'd started struggling with insomnia, she'd found she really enjoyed the strange theatrics and pounding beats. After one fast paced song, Jazz could finally think again, turning to look at Valerie for a second.

"Hey—" she cut herself off upon realizing Valerie had fallen asleep, breath leaving small puffs on the window. Jazz smiled, shaking her head and turning her attention back to the road. "Sleep tight, kids," she muttered under her breath, turning the radio up a few clicks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> This was a pretty fun chapter to write, I’m not gonna lie. I love little tense moments like this, and they all come into play later! (I’m actually writing the results of some of them now and I’m so excited!!)
> 
> I’m working on the slow burn (I know that’s a romance term but bear with me, idk how else to describe it) and it’s coming along really well I think. I’m excited to see what you all think!
> 
> Let me know what you think! I love love love comments, they make my day every time I see one!
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	19. Whispering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little filler chapter that turns out to be less filler and more tension building
> 
> Also, again, sorry for being so mean to Danny :(

**Whispering**

* * *

As far as Dan's return went, nothing happened for almost two weeks, though Danny was too smart to let himself relax into the unforeseen break. Upon the original Team Phantom's arrival at Vlad's mansion, they settled into designated rooms (that is, after Tucker went through and deprogrammed the fruit loop's hidden traps). Danny figured out the whole separate room thing wouldn't work for him the first night, though, when Phantom kept waking him up with nightmares.

 _'I'm sorry,'_ Phantom's voice had been sharp and fragile - freshly broken.

"What is it?" Danny gasped, hands hugging himself tightly. While Phantom insisted on keeping the content hidden, Danny could still feel the pain and hurt and danger and _death, pure death_ rolling off of the dream. "What was that about?"

_'I can't tell you—'_

"Damnit, Phantom, what the hell is this!" Danny yelled, shaking breaths racking his body painfully. He felt like he was going to be sick. Phantom continued spinning in his chest, trying unsuccessfully to contain his anguish.

 _'I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry Danny...'_ Phantom soothed Danny gently, finally beginning to draw some of the emotions back into himself. Danny relaxed just a little, letting his limbs sprawl out a bit.

"That's the third one tonight," Danny's cheeks were wet with tears, head falling back to his pillow. "What's going on? What are you dreaming about?"

Phantom's momentary silence made Danny nervous. He prodded his cores, pulling back when Phantom pushed back against him. _'I don't think I should tell you.'_

"Why not?" Danny's voice betrayed his disappointment. "I just want to help."

 _'That's—!'_ Phantom cut himself off, taking a moment to calm down. _'That's exactly the problem. You can't always help, and you definitely can't help with this.'_

"But—"

_'No. That's final. You're staying out of this.'_

Danny opened his mouth to say something else, falling quiet when a soft knock rasped at his door. Sitting up in bed, he wiped away his tears, gasping a few quick breaths.

"Come in!"

The door opened slowly, revealing Sam, a dark purple quilt wrapped firmly around her shoulders. "Hey, I uh...kinda heard you yelling," she chuckled, tugging on the quilt. "Are you ok?" her eyes were on him, deep brown rimmed with tired red.

Danny nodded instinctively before biting down on his lip. "Uh, no, actually..."

Sam walked to his bed, sitting down and tossing her quilt around Danny's shoulders. "A nightmare?"

"Sorta," Danny grunted, looking down quickly. He was crying again.

"Do you wanna talk—"

"No," Danny's eyes shot you to Sam's in a quick, panicked movement. "Please, god no."

Sam nodded, bringing a hand to his face and brushing his tears away. "Then we won't. Can I...?" Sam's eyes moved down to the blankets, a silent question rolling off of her features.

Danny nodded, chuckling as she slid under the covers, leaning against Danny with her head in the crook of his neck. Her hands found his above the covers, rubbing circles into his palms.

"I missed you," Sam sighed, closing her eyes and smiling.

"Yeah?" he chuckled softly, eyes falling closed as he settled into Sam's warmth. "Me too..."

* * *

Danny didn't know it when he fell asleep that first night, but that was how the two would sleep every night. Phantom still had nightmares, but Sam was quick to wake Danny up before they got too bad. Sure, she would kick him in her sleep and steal all the blankets, but he was still happy to have her next to him when he woke up.

He told her what he knew about the dreams - which wasn't much - and she kept the knowledge between the two of them, which Danny appreciated. Tucker and Valerie didn't need to know about the development, and Jazz would only get worked up, which Danny definitely didn't want. He'd already put her through too much, he decided.

Besides, the rest of the smaller Team Phantom seemed to have their own problems. Valerie, for one, was absolutely heart broken over her breakup with Meg. She was good at hiding it for the most part, but Danny had caught her crying while training a few times, somehow sobbing and hitting punching bags or practice dummies simultaneously.

"Hey, you ok?" Danny peaked in and asked a few days after they'd arrived, tensing when she turned frighteningly quick. "Oh, uh, stupid question, I guess."

Valerie sighed, shaking her head and dropping her fighting stance. "What do you want?"

"I just...wanted to make sure you're ok..." Danny trailed off, watching as Valerie's features hardened.

She sighed, unwrapping her hands and grunting a bit upon seeing early bruises forming. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are," Danny chuckled stiffly. "And I'm fine too. You believe me?"

"Hell no," Valerie rasped, rolling her eyes quickly.

"Ok, well..." Danny shook his head, laughing a bit more. "Where does that leave us?"

Valerie let out a long sigh, dropping her wraps next to her water bottle. "You don't have to check up on me, you know. It's normal to be sad after a breakup."

"Sure...but you seem..." he paused, thinking of what exactly to say. "I don't know. You'd tell me if anything else was going on, wouldn't you?"

Danny wished he could have ignored the way her body tensed, but he couldn't. She nodded hastily, grabbing her things and pushing past him without another word. He didn't check on her after that, deciding she would be ok. After all, he found out soon enough she wasn't dealing with everything alone.

"You still haven't texted her?" Danny overheard Jazz ask one morning in the halls. He stopped just outside the living room, letting invisibility wash over himself and his half drank energy drink. He didn't mean to snoop, but Phantom's protective curiosity was hard to resist, especially when it was pushing against his scar, like a hand on the scruff.

"Well...no..." Valerie's voice was quiet, and Danny had to strain to hear it from outside the room.

"Why not?"

Silence echoed off the walls for a few moments. There was an audible sigh. "I don't know."

Danny shook his head, washing away Phantom's temporary grasp over him. He zipped past the living room, retaining his invisibility until he was floating above his bed. "Phantom, you can't just do that."

Phantom stayed silent for a few moments until Danny tapped his chest in defiance. _'What?'_ he snapped back, flushing Danny's senses with anger for a second.

"You know it's not ok to listen to other people's conversations. And you...what did you even do back there?" Danny demanded, eyes closing as he tried to steady his growing nerves.

_'It's important we make sure everyone's alright and—'_

"You can't just take over whenever you want," Danny forced the words through clenched teeth, shaking his head. "You can't do this to me!"

_'Do what? I'm just trying to—'_

"You're hiding something from me," Danny's hands shot to his ears, ghosts of nightmarish whispers echoing against his skull. "Why can't you just let me help you. We could help them together, but you're shutting me out!"

Phantom fell silent, this time refusing to respond to any of Danny's prodding. With a final sigh, he gave up, leaving the ghost alone.

* * *

Tucker's problem was easier to understand, but far harder to deal with. Of course it was; it was political.

"So your connections that go all the way up...?" Danny confirmed, Tucker's words finally sinking in. The two boys were sprawled in one of the many living rooms in Vlad's mansion, having just finished training.

"Yeah, I'm talking _all the way up_ ," Tucker's voice took on a dangerous edge as his face fell into a serious expression. "Like, _presidential_."

"The president..." Danny's tone was quiet. Tucker has connections that went all the way up to the _president_ , somehow. He didn't know quite how to process that. "What...how are they handling all of this on that level?"

Tucker sucked in a sharp breath, shaking his head quickly. "They're _not_."

"What?"

"They're waiting for the threat to present itself or something," Tucker's head fell into his hands. "I wish they'd just _listen_. At least Amity Park's taking action. If Dan decides to go after any major cities, we're screwed."

Danny gulped back his panic, nodding a bit while Tucker looked back up again. "That's why you left the mayor's office."

"They're in good enough hands. At least they're being proactive. What I need to focus on are the people at the top who won't listen."

"And how're you gonna do that?"

Tucker shrugged, smiling a little. "I don't know, I was hoping I'd get some help from earth's greatest hero?"

Danny pursed his lips, considering his next words very carefully. "I'll talk to whoever you think I need to, but...we've gotta be careful. The GIW are already involved, and—"

"And they won't hurt you," Tucker cut in. "I made sure of it as soon as I started networking."

"But they _want_ to," Danny shuddered, thinking back to his past of evading them. "That's all that matters, at the end of the day."

Tucker sighed, hanging his head. "I know. And you're right, there are a few corrupt officials who would _love_ to see you locked up. You're sort of an enigma, and not exactly in the best sense of the word."

Danny chuckled a little, shaking his head at his best friend. "When did you get all wordy?"

"Since I took a political internship," Tucker chuckled back. "It wouldn't hurt if you learned how to be a little more articulate, you know. You've got a reputation to uphold."

At the mention of his reputation, Danny's chest fell, the memory of his scared peers flashing in front of his eyes. Tucker noticed, sitting up and looking at his friend.

"I'm sorry, did I say something...?"

"Ha, no," Danny rubbed his neck nervously, slumping over himself. "I did. I mean, my reputation is already kinda ruined..."

"What do you mean?"

"I _scared_ them," Danny's voice was hardly a whisper. "I freaked out because I'm stressed and...I mean, you saw it."

Tucker elbowed his friend jokingly, frowning as he phased through. "Dude, you're fine. Even if they are a little scared, that doesn't mean they trust you any less. You _saved_ them. All of them. All of _us_. Nothing's gonna change that."

Danny swallowed hard and nodded, eyes traveling down to his hands. In his anxiety, he must have kick started his cores, Phantom's silvery energy washing over his fingertips. He scowled, pushing Phantom away. He was still mad at his ghostly counterpart for being so secretive.

"Yeah, ok, well it _will_ change if I can't save them this time," Danny clenched his fists, replacing silver with ectoplasm green. His eyes flashed dangerously as he looked back up at Tucker. "Tell me what I need to do. Dan's not winning."

* * *

The federal government all but rejected Tucker and Danny, telling them again and again that they wouldn't pursue action until the threat was confirmed, and apparently the 'ramblings of a fifteen year old', as they put it, wasn't enough confirmation. The original Team Phantom continued training, nonetheless, preparing for the worst. Tucker stayed in contact with Meg to ensure the new Team Phantom had an open line of communication, and Jazz texted updates back and forth with the elder Fentons.

"Star and Paulina?" Danny asked one morning, finishing a piece of toast. The teens had gathered in the main dining hall, sharing a quick breakfast before training for the day.

"They're doing fine," Jazz assured, finishing her third cup of coffee that morning. "Mom and dad have got Star's levels stable, and she's working with a treatment center. She's gonna be ok."

Danny let out a deep breath, letting himself relax a little as he took a sip of his orange juice. "Good. I can't believe it's almost been two weeks since..."

"I know," Valerie agreed, feet stretched out on the table. She leaned back in her chair, picking a bit of food from her teeth with a long ghost hunting knife. "I'm glad to hear she's doing better, though. Star's actually always been pretty chill."

Sam nodded, arm pressed flush against Danny's side as she finished her oatmeal. "But they're both staying there, right? Isn't that a little...weird?"

Tucker nodded, humming in agreement. "Yeah, I mean, aren't their parents worried at all...?"

Jazz's face paled, shaking hands bringing her coffee to the table. " _Everyone's_ parents are freaking out. Even the ones who's kids didn't run away from home. Amity Park is in total lockdown."

Danny's senses tingled, Phantom listening with intensity. He growled at the ghost silently, trying unsuccessfully to get him to _back off_. "Well, it won't be for long. Dan will come, and soon. It's good they're ready for an attack."

Jazz nodded, still flushed. "Sure, but this much panic is a lot. There's—"

"I don't care," Phantom took over Danny's voice against his will, body going rigid. "S- stop!" Danny gasped, blinking his eyes a few times as his vision faded to black.

"Danny?" Sam's voice was right next to him, but she'd pulled back, probably due to the frost crawling over his skin.

"N- no, not h- him," Phantom's voice was a hostile hiss, fighting to stay in control. Danny thrashed against his cores, but their grip was too tight. He was starting to lose control of his body.

"What's going on?" Sam's voice was low. She was the only one who knew how tense things had gotten between Danny and Phantom. "Why are you talking over Danny?"

Phantom grunted, settling into his control over the Danny's body. "He's not listening to me."

Someone sputtered, clanging echoing through Danny's ears. If he had to guess, Jazz had knocked her coffee over. " _Shit_ ," his sister hissed quietly.

"Leave it, I can't hold on too much longer," Phantom pressed, gritting his teeth against Danny's will. "But you have to know—"

"Have to know what?" Sam snapped at him, tone defensive. "You won't even tell him what's going on! What do you _mean_ he isn't listening to you? You're not telling him anything!"

"He has to know what's going on. He wants to respect privacy or whatever, but we both _need to know how to protect them_ ," Phantom explained quickly. "Dan's coming. He's coming and Danny's not ready."

"Like hell he's not!" Sam stomped, and Danny was guessing she'd just stood up, judging by the scraping sound of a chair. "What's wrong with you, Phantom?"

"Oh," Phantom's voice was so quiet now, cores twisting in agony, "there's a _lot_ wrong with me. But that's not the point."

 _'Phantom—'_ Danny struggled against his cores' grasp. He didn't know if he wanted to hug the ghost, or slap him.

"Let me finish, Danny," Phantom closed his eyes, voice breaking a bit. "Please."

Danny pulled back a little, Phantom's sincerity vibrating over his skin. _'Fine, just...hurry.'_

Phantom nodded, eyes opening once more, though Danny's vision stayed black. "If his parents intervene, if that Team Phantom gets too close, if _anyone puts themselves in danger_ ," Phantom's breath hitched as Danny's cores screamed in pain at the idea. "If any of that happens, he won't be able to do this."

Silence fell over the other teens, Phantom's labored breaths falling over them. "...Ok," Jazz was the first to speak, voice low and quiet. "I promise, we'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"But—" Valerie spoke up.

"We promise," Jazz repeated, tone pointed, "that we'll keep ourselves safe. For Danny's sake."

Phantom nodded, letting go of Danny's body in a rush. He slumped to the side, Sam catching him hastily. "Woah there," she breathed lightly, helping Danny sit up straight again. Upon opening his eyes, he smiled at his returned vision. Phantom had retreated back into his chest, for now.

"Thanks," he gasped, coughing a few times. He cleared his throat, opening his mouth to speak before letting loose another volley of angry hacks. Liquid dropped from the left corner of his lip, falling below his chin. Rubbing it hastily, he choked a little when he looked down at bright, silvery metallic liquid. "Oh...my god..."

"Danny?" Valerie looked ready to leap into action, her eyes darting towards a nonexistent enemy. "What's going on?"

"I—" Danny tried to speak, but it came out gargled from under the silver fluid dripping from his lips. There was _so_ _much_ of it now, pooling as if being poured from somewhere. Where was it coming from?

 _'I'm sorry,'_ Phantom wheezed, and with a start, Danny realized that he had been attacked, somehow. They had _both_ been attacked. _'I thought I could hold him off long enough, but I think—'_

"Hold _who_ off?!" Danny would have been shouting if not for the leaking, dripping, _oozing_ _stuff_ , now threatening to flood his nose.

_'I wish I could explain- I wish I could, I can't- he's trying to- I need to go—'_

"Phantom!" Danny hacked twice more before his senses cleared, the fluid ceasing to flow. His chin dropped, spitting the thick liquid down onto his shirt along with the rest, which had already dripped down.

Clearing his throat, he looked up at his friends with scared eyes, attention landing on his sister hesitantly. "Phantom's being attacked."

"Again?" Sam's voice was hardly a whisper from next to Danny, his attention snapping to her in an instant.

"Hang on a second, _again_?" Valerie shot to her feet, though Danny kept his focus trained on Sam.

"You think the nightmares were—"

"Maybe not, maybe just a _warning_ —"

"Oh, will you two please actually _say_ something?!" Valerie snapped, finally drawing both Sam and Danny's attention. She looked like she was on the brink of a panic attack, chest heaving quick puffs of air.

"Phantom's been having nightmares. He won't tell me what they're about, but just now..." Danny squeezed his eyes shut, dragging his fingers across his wet chin. "Now he was just attacked...somehow. He took the brunt of it for me, and..." his eyes snapped open, darting around as a sickening realization settled across his chest. "He isn't here. He's gone, I can't feel him, I can't—"

"Danny—" he couldn't comprehend who's voice it was. His eyes wouldn't stop darting around the dining room.

"We were just fighting. It was just a stupid fight and now he's _gone_ and I want him _back_ , please goddamnit give him _back_!" Danny was yelling now, a shaking sob escaping him.

"Hey!" Sam's hand was on his shoulder. He turned to her too fast, full attention on her. "I need you to breathe."

"But I don't need to—"

"You're right, but _I_ need you to breathe," Sam assured with a small smile. How could she be _smiling_? Phantom was _gone_.

"Where is he?" Danny rasped, voice quieting as he let himself gasp in a few shallow breaths.

"Dunno," Sam was quiet, keeping her composure light. Ah, she wasn't _smiling_ , she was _comforting_. Danny let himself relax into that.

"Will he be ok?"

Sam's she's darted to Danny's chin and shirt, swallowing hard and quick before painting on another small smile. "I don't know, but he's strong, right?"

Danny nodded, letting his eyes close tight. " _Powerful_."

Sam hummed in agreement, grabbing Danny as he swayed dangerously. He leaned his weight against her, senses buckling under the weight of his waning panic. "Take a second, if you gotta. I've got you."

Danny nodded, body falling limp against Sam. He hummed solidly just before the darkness overtook him, pulling him into a heavy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> This is my longest chapter by far, and honestly, one of my favorite filler-y ones. That being said, there’s not much more filler after this, so enjoy the little bit of calm while it lasts!
> 
> Also! Someone from ff.net asked if Wes in this story is THE Wes Weston, and he totally is. I was only going to incorporate him as a fan service initially, but now he’s actually a bigger part of the plot. Sorry if he seems a bit ooc right now, but we’ll delve into his part in this soon enough, and it’ll all make sense :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	20. Old Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stressful recoveries lead to even more stressful actions

**Old Beginnings**

* * *

"He's doing ok?" Valerie asked the moment Jazz, Sam, and Tucker walked out of Danny's room. Tucker has helped clean him up, getting him into clean clothes, and Sam and Jazz had settled him into bed.

"Well, he's still unconscious, but he's ok. Everything's stable," Jazz explained slowly. Valerie nodded, pacing quickly in front of the door.

"I can't believe he was attacked. Attacked by what?" she muttered, earning concerned glances from the other teens.

"Val—"

" _What_?" her tone was sharper than she meant for it to be, especially since it was directed at Jazz. "Sorry, I just—"

"I know, but you have to let go of that," Jazz cut in, taking a step towards Valerie. She smiled softly at her. "I know you feel responsible, but you heard Phantom."

Valerie's jaw clenched tight, hands curling to fists at her sides. "Don't you want to protect him? Don't any of you even care that—"

"Ok," Sam stepped forward now, lips trembling hard. Valerie realized that she was holding back tears. "Look, we _all_ care about Danny, but this is what it means to be a part of Team Phantom. The _real_ Team Phantom. It's not ok, and it's not fair, but Danny is- he's the only one who can- who can do what needs to be done."

"Sam—" Valerie's tone softened as Sam began to cry.

"So don't ask _us_ if we even care. That's _not_ _fair_. None of this is fair," Sam hastily wiped the tears from her face, taking a shaking breath before turning to Tucker. "You've got his vitals monitored?"

"Yep, it'll let me know if anything changes," Tucker held up his PDA.

"Perfect. I need to train, let's go," Sam grabbed Tucker's arm, dragging him down the hallway and leaving Jazz and Valerie alone.

"I didn't mean to—" Valerie started.

"I know. She's just shaken up," Jazz watched Sam and Tucker round the corner, sighing a little. "We all are."

Valerie gulped, nodding hard and kicking her feet below her. "How am I supposed to let him get hurt for us? For...for me? After everything I did—"

"Stop that," Jazz cut in, shaking her head and looking down to the ground. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Valerie watched as the redhead in front of her shook a little, staring down at pale hands. "Are you ok, Jazz?"

The elder teen's eyes snapped up, tears threatening to fall. "I don't know..." she chuckled humorlessly, dragging red locks from in front of her face. "But I'm not the one who has to be ok. Danny's going to have to fight, and we have to...we have to be there for him when he does."

Valerie swallowed hard, nodding carefully. "Ok."

"Ok? You're done with this self sacrificing bullshit?" Jazz asked, earning a small smile from Valerie.

"Yes, yes ok," she shook her head. "I trust Danny. And...I trust you, Jazz. You can trust me too, you know."

Jazz contemplated her words, finally nodding slowly. "Thanks. I do trust you, I just..."

"Hey, no pressure," Valerie's hands shot up. "Just...take your time, ok? You Fentons need to remember to do that, sometimes."

Jazz chuckled a little, nodding. "Yeah ok. Thank you."

* * *

Sam was strong. A little _too_ strong for Tucker, who was holding up training mitts as she punched away.

"That _bitch_ ," Sam growled, throwing another jab at Tucker's right hand. He stumbled back, chuckling nervously.

"Don't you think you're going a little too hard on her?"

Sam punched at his right hand, grunting at the contact and taking a small step back. "What do you mean? Didn't you hear what she said?"

Tucker pursed his lips, bringing his gloved hands down from in front of him. "She sounded so _scared_ , Sam. I think she just made a mistake."

"But—"

"Besides, I thought you two were on better terms now. Why so quick to jump down her throat?" Tucker asked, taking off the training gloves and tossing them to the ground. "What's going on?"

"What's going _on_ is..." Sam curled her fists, looking around for something to hit. She looked like she might just explode. "Is Danny, he..."

She sank to her knees, letting out a long sob as she swayed side to side. A moment later, Sam was on the ground, curling her arms around her knees as she let out a few more strangled cries. Tucker was at her side in an instant, wrapping arms around her and squeezing tight.

"He's going to die. He's going to _die_ Tucker can't you feel it? Something _bad_ is going to happen and we're just..." Sam's words tumbled to a stop. She was shaking hard.

"He's _not_ going to die," Tucker assured, feeling his friend relax just a bit at the bite in his tone. "He's going to _live_."

"And if he doesn't?" Sam looked at Tucker, eyes red and fearful. "If he...?"

"I won't let him," Tucker's tone was so certain, Sam stopped crying. Her nod was small, but definite. She believed Tucker. "Let's get some rest, ok?"

"But—"

"Sam, you're exhausted," Tucker rose to his feet slowly, holding out a hand for his friend. "We all are, and Danny's ok. Let's get some rest," he repeated. With a small nod, Sam took his hand, letting him help her to her feet.

"Ok. Thanks."

* * *

Phantom was good a keeping secrets. _God_ , was he good at keeping secrets, Danny realized. He wished he'd realized it sooner, but like with most things in his life, he was too late. _Too late._

Phantom's residual nightmares drifted in slowly, like whispers bouncing under locked doors. As soon as the first one leaked through, though, it came forth at full force, knocking Danny's sleeping mind over in one fell swoop.

The room was damp and cold, bright green fluid dripping from the ceiling and walls. The walls were made of obsidian — smooth black glass imprinted with swirls of bright green, blue, and silver. Danny looked down at his hands; he was in his ghost form, body glowing a dull silver. He had enough room to reach out in each direction before touching the walls, but the room still made him feel a little claustrophobic. The lack of a door wasn't helping.

"Hello?" Danny's voice sounded like Phantom's, the distinction clear to him immediately. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Is anyone—" still Phantom's voice. Huh. "...there?"

"Oh, you don't think I'd bring you here and leave you alone, now do you?"

Danny froze. He knew that voice. It had been tattooed into his brain the moment it had threatened everyone he cared about. And it was coming from the entire room, sending a flurry of ectoplasm dripping from ceiling.

" _Dan,_ " Phantom's voice was flung from Danny's body without consent. With a start, he realized he wasn't in control. _Phantom_ was in control now, and he was _pissed_.

"Awe, you named me," the room spoke once more, chuckling. "How _sweet_."

"You're not going to win," Phantom's aura flashed brilliantly, defiance coursing through his veins. "I _will_ beat you. You are _done_ terrorizing him."

The room laughed, cracks forming at the base of the walls at the intensity. "Oh, I'm afraid I've just begun. Can't you feel it?"

The swirls in the walls began to move, slow and methodical like magma. With a quick _pop_ , they sped up, converging into a form right in front of Danny. He turned away, blinding green light painting the insides of his eyelids for a moment before fading away.

"Can't you feel _me_?"

Danny gasped, head snapping to the form in front of him. It was himself in ghost form, but... _so very not_. His hair was too white, emitting an almost blinding light. His skin was a touch blue-grey, veins running deep indigo as though he'd been dead for a while. The most unnerving thing was his eyes, though — bright green with flecks of blood speckled in the whites. The bright red veins weaving themselves through his eyes pulsed, like a too-fast heartbeat. Those eyes stared Danny down, a wide smile pulled tight across his lips.

"Wh- who are you?" Danny stumbled back, back pressing against the cool wall. The other Danny was too close, body almost pressed against his. The room wasn't big enough for the both of them to stand comfortably, and the other Danny didn't seem too keen on making room to share.

"Don't you recognize yourself when you see him?" the other Danny's grin somehow widened, his arms spreading to his sides. He took a small step back into the corner opposite of Danny, motioning for him to step forward. "Come on, I wanna take a look at you."

"I- why—"

"Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself," he flung himself into a low bow, causing Danny to press himself further against his corner. "I'm you, but better!"

Danny let his own eyes widen, watching the pulsating veins intensify idly. "What?"

"I'm you, Phantom," the other Danny cocked his head, grin ever present, "but the you who lives in Dan."

Danny's fingertips felt numb. He couldn't feel his nose or lips or tongue because everything felt like nothing for too long. He swallowed hard, shaking his head too fast and causing his vision to spin. "No. That's impossible."

"Is it now?" the other Danny shook his head and started laughing, a swelling metal-on-metal sound that consumed the entire room. He stopped too suddenly, straightening up and looking back at Danny with that sickening grin.

"Y- you died because you were- were consumed by..." Danny's eyes went wide, words dying in his mouth.

"Yes? What about being consumed?" the other Danny shuddered, as if someone had grabbed him by his hair and shaken him out.

"You're...evil?" Danny's hands were shaking as he tried unsuccessfully to wedge himself further into the corner.

"Well, of course!" the other Danny spoke with his hands, letting them flail in front of him. "I finally got the stick out of my ass and realized how much _fun_ it can be."

Danny whimpered, though it didn't come out. This was still _Phantom's_ dream, after all, and despite his shock and fear, he stood tall.

"You're horrible. How could you- why didn't you- how could you not fight him?" Danny's — no, _Phantom's_ — voice crackled dangerously.

The other Danny's expression darkened, grin taking on a deadly undertone. His teeth flashed red with blood for half a second before reverting back to brilliant white. "Plasmius can be _very_ convincing. Tell me, Phantom, have you ever tasted human flesh?"

"I— _what_?" Phantom hissed, baring his teeth defensively. His cores were screaming in agony at the notion. "You're...you're..."

"A monster?" the other Danny rolled his eyes before shrugging. "Oh, _I know_. Isn't it just wonderful?"

"He would _never_ turn into you. Danny—"

"Oh, you're right," the monster laughed again. "He didn't turn into me. _You_ did, Phantom."

Phantom's electric core spun in his chest, a volley of bright blue sparks raining down around him. His ice core, however, was completely silent, as if it had frozen over. Was he right? Could Phantom ever really...?

"I know what you're thinking," the monster cocked his head at Phantom again. "I used to think the way you do, you know."

"You have never been _anything_ like me," Phantom growled, low and murderous. "I will _never_ turn into you."

"But you already did," the monster took on a singsong voice, head tilting from side to side as he did. "You already failed! You already lost, and Danny's going to pay for it again. _Again_."

Phantom froze at that, mind fluttering to thoughts of Danny. It was strange for Danny, sitting in on Phantom's inner dialogue about him. Phantom was _so_ protective over him. The thought of something happening to him was physically painful, which honestly scared him a little. To have someone so completely devoted to Danny's well-being felt like too much pressure, especially over just him. He was _just Danny,_ but Phantom regarded him as the greatest, most heroic person in the world.

"You will _not_ touch him. You will never hurt him _ever_ again," Phantom's growl turned acidic, melting any remaining fear as he lunged at the monster before him.

"Ah ah ah," the monster wagged his finger, freezing Phantom in his place. "This is _my_ dream, not yours."

Phantom started choking, silver liquid bubbling over his lips. He doubled over, clutching an burning stomach as his head swam furiously. "Wh- what are you doing to me?"

"We found your energy. You're terribly easy to trace, I hope you know," the monster's grin tightened once more. "It's only a matter of time before we find your physical body. And then, you can finish Danny off, just like I did."

Again, his teeth flashed red once more, staying there far longer this time. The gums were almost black from the dark fluid, sharpened teeth dripping slowly. The monster licked his lips and teeth clean, shuddering once more.

"I can still taste his blood. Best I've had. Now it's _your_ turn."

* * *

With a start, Danny shot up in bed, sweaty hands flying to his pounding heart. His eyes swam with the image of that monster, teeth dripping with his own blood. He tried to blink the image away, but every time he closed his eyes, it was back.

"Danny? Hey, he's awake," Jazz's voice filtered into his mind, calling out to his friends. Danny clung to it for dear life, forcing his eyes open as he watched his sister rush over to his bed. She must've just been outside his door. "Hey, you're ok, calm down, everything's fine."

Danny hadn't realized he'd been hyperventilating until her words started to slow his breath. He gulped painfully, tasting his own blood against his tongue. "No. Not fine."

Jazz furrowed her eyebrows, grabbing Danny's hands and slipping right through. He looked down, flexing his hands tentatively. "Danny?"

"I...didn't mean to do that..." his voice was quiet and shaking. Another image of the monster flashed in front of him, and with a quick thud, Danny was enveloped in darkness.

He blinked a few times, assessing himself. He was still awake, so why...?

"Danny!" his sister's muffled shout from above him gave him an answer. He'd accidentally fallen through the bed, unable to hold onto any sort of tangibility. After assessing himself once more, he nodded, feeling the mattress and bed frame wrapped around him.

"Sorry, I can't—" he tried to explain.

"He's awake?" Sam's voice was quick and relieved. "Wh- where is he?"

"Down here," Danny grunted, hoisting himself to his feet. His waist now stood above the mattress, though he still couldn't get his tangibility to return. Settling on floating cross legged above his bed, he looked at Sam, who was joined in the doorway by Tucker and Valerie.

"Danny, are you—" Valerie started, eyes beginning to tear up.

"No, I'm not ok," Danny's breath came out a low hiss, his hand prodding at his chest as he closed his eyes in pain. "Phantom's still gone, and..."

"And?" Tucker supplied.

"And I think I know who took him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> I had a really fun time writing Phantom’s nightmare (I have no clue why but everything I write has to have at least one nightmare sequence) so I hope you all enjoy a little creepy stuff too!
> 
> Please let me know what you think - I really do appreciate any feedback :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	21. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s find out more about Wes’ character, and maybe be mean to Danny some more

**Lost**

* * *

Phantom couldn't breathe. He couldn't _feel_. His body was nonexistent, mind a swirling mess of pain and fear. And _anger_. He couldn't shake the pure, unadulterated _rage_ , and quite frankly, he didn't want to. That monster, that _thing_ , had attacked Danny, and he was livid.

"Where are you?" Phantom called out into the darkness that bathed his senses. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"In due time," it was Dan's voice this time, deep with a tone of pride. "Everything is going according to plan, my little pawn."

"I'm _not_ your pawn," Phantom's voice crackled with pure power.

"Oh, I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter yet," Dan laughed from all around him. "But don't worry. In due time, you'll be _begging_ to join me. And maybe I'll just let you, if you're a good little ghost."

Before he could respond, Phantom's senses were flooded with pain. The laughter around him intensified, sending shooting tendrils of agony into his thoughts. Images of Danny swarmed him. Danny in pain. Danny broken. Danny in pieces, scattered. Phantom let out a gut wrenching scream, trying desperately to shake the horrors from his mind. He couldn't, though, and Dan continued his onslaught relentlessly.

* * *

"How does this...work?" Sam asked uneasily, hands in Danny's as he looked at her. "I mean, with Phantom...and..."

Danny watched as she cried lightly, moving to wrap his arms around her quickly. They were alone in his room, everyone else having gone to bed for the night. Little did they know they wouldn't be seeing Danny in the morning.

"Shh, it's ok," Danny's white-gloved fingers stroked her hair as she let loose a small sob. "I'll be ok, I promise."

"B- but Dan has him, right?" Sam sniffled into Danny's chest, shaking lightly. "How can you- you can't just- we're here to _help_ you. You told- told everyone else you'd let us _help_ you."

Danny nodded. After he woke up, he'd explained that Dan had Phantom somehow, but had assured them he'd wait until the next morning to make a move. The moment Sam and Danny got ready for bed, however, he knew he couldn't wait. One residual nightmare later and he was getting ready to go, despite Sam's efforts to keep him there.

"I know, but..." Danny's mind fluttered back to the nightmare he'd just had. It was almost exactly the same as his one just prior, but this time, Phantom had tried harder to fight. Not for himself, but for _Danny_. He couldn't just stand by and let the ghost get hurt for him, not after watching that. "Phantom is in trouble."

"Why does that even matter?" Sam's words were sharper than Danny had expected. He tensed hard, and Sam pulled away a little to look at him, arms still around his waist.

"What the _fuck_ , Sam," Danny's tone held a dangerous edge. Sam pulled herself away from his embrace carefully, gulping hard and shaking her head slowly.

"I...you know what, I was going to apologize, but I'm not really sorry. Why _does_ it matter? Y- you're going to risk your life for him? Really?" Sam sounded hurt, eyes brimming with tears.

Danny hissed a breath in, his heart hammering hard. He was so _angry_. He'd never been this angry at one of his friends, let alone his girlfriend. "I can't believe you actually just said that."

"Why—"

"What is _wrong_ with you!" Danny was yelling now, frost and electricity coating his entire body. Phantom may have been gone, but his power remained. "Phantom, he's—"

"Going to be ok!" Sam yelled back, stomping her foot in frustration. "You said so yourself, so why—"

"He's a _part_ of me!" Danny's voice echoed off the walls dangerously. His chest heaved with heavy breaths, both teens stilling from the sudden outburst. He took a labored breath, then another, calming down just slightly. "Imagine, for just a second, that someone cut a piece out of your soul. Now imagine they _stole_ it."

Sam's anger dropped, eyes flashing with pity. "I—"

"And you say that doesn't matter?" his voice was sharp. "Hah. Ok. Nice to see how you really feel."

"I just, you two have been fighting, and I thought—"

"Yeah? Well you thought wrong," Danny laughed bitterly, hand lingering over his cores. "I'm going. I can feel that he's close, but he won't be for long. This needs to happen _now_."

Sam gulped, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry."

Danny let a few tears fall, wiping them away hastily. "Yeah, ok."

The door flew open, revealing Valerie, Tucker, and Jazz. The yelling must've drawn them to Danny's room. "What's going on," Jazz sounded angry. They must've overheard Danny's plans.

"I'm leaving now," Danny watched as his sister's gaze hardened into a glare, "to help Phantom."

"You can't—" she started yelling.

"Yeah?" Danny cut in, smirking sadly at her before sending Sam one final glance. "Watch me."

And with that, Danny flew through the ceiling, letting intangibility guide him through the solid surface. Closing his eyes, he let his cores whirl, tugging him in Phantom's direction. He opened his eyes, breathing in the cool evening air. "Don't worry," he breathed the words quietly, "I'm coming."

* * *

"Why didn't you _get us,_ " Jazz hissed the words, pacing and wringing shaking hands in front of her.

"I didn't—"

"Sam, he's _gone_!" the elder teen yelled, voice shrill against even her own ears. "Can't you get that through your thick skull? He's gone and he might not come back!"

"Don't you think I _know that_!" Sam yelled back, face red as hot, angry tears fell to her lips. "I tried to- to get him to stay but he- he _wouldn't_!"

Jazz's pace stilled, entire body shaking furiously. "We could have made him, he isn't thinking straight—"

"Made him?" Valerie spoke, voice hardly a whisper. The other teens turned to her, watching as her eyes narrowed on Jazz. "And how does that make you any better than your parents?"

"How dare you—" Jazz threw voice at her.

"You think you know what's best for him," Valerie was too calm, her voice hardly rising, "but really...if you made him stay, you'd just be controlling him. Isn't Danny the only one who really knows what's best for himself?"

Jazz's anger deflated as she stumbled back, falling to the bed. Her hands balled into fists around the blankets, heavy breaths falling around her. "Y- you're right."

"Sorry," Valerie sat down next to her, face devoid of emotion. She grabbed Jazz's hand, and the human contact helped the redhead to stop shaking so much.

"Thanks," Jazz breathed the word. She felt _horrible_. "For not letting me...be like them..."

"We have to go after him, right?" Tucker asked, anger rising in his tone. "We can't just let him go out there alone! He- that's _Dan._ "

Nobody answered, both Jazz and Valerie sitting in their own disbelief. Sam was crying, hands covering her mouth to keep the sobs in.

"We...we have to help him, right?" Tucker looked around at them, voice falling as the realization set in. "Right?"

Again, there was no response. Tucker pulled Sam into a wordless hug, letting her shake and sob into his shoulder. Jazz squeezed Valerie's hand back. Nobody knew what else to say, so they just stayed there for a while, not saying a word.

* * *

"You're _positive_ he's back?" Meg asked uncertainly, watching as Wes smiled wide at her.

"Yeah, it's him! His ecto-signature was picked up a few hours ago, just outside of the park," the redhead explained quickly, turning the screen of his laptop towards her.

Meg considered Wes' excitement. Since Danny's secret had been revealed, he'd worked his way into the core of Team Phantom. He _was_ the only one who had caught on before the big reveal, even if he had expressed it like a rambling idiot.

The rumors he'd tried to spread always died out, and she was pretty sure Danny never actually knew about Wes' shenanigans. When the asteroid incident happened, and Danny's secret was finally out in the open, the younger teen had been ecstatic. He'd gone around at school bragging about his accomplishments, finally breaking out of the social rut he'd driven himself into. Now, people trusted him, though Meg wasn't so sure. She didn't doubt his intentions, but his methods could get to be a bit... _extreme_.

"And he's coming this way?"

"Yeah," Wes shuffled a little, smiling wide. "Why do you think he's coming back?"

Meg frowned, studying the screen that identified the ecto-signature as Danny's. "I don't know. Tucker didn't mention anything about a visit..."

Wes' face fell, realization sweeping his features. "You think something's wrong?"

"I don't know," Meg shook her head, "but I know you can't assume anything. Let's prepare for anything."

"Anything?" Wes asked lowly, tone taking a dangerous edge. Meg tensed, his determination making her a bit uneasy.

"...Yes, get everyone up."

* * *

Danny was pulled in Amity Park's direction, the realization of where he was going spurring him to speed up. Dan was bringing him there for a reason, and he didn't exactly want to know why. He had convinced himself that this would be a quick rescue mission — he wasn't ready for a confrontation yet, and neither was Phantom.

At the thought of his ghostly counterpart, Danny picked up his speed, flying faster towards Amity Park. He was still beating himself up for getting so mad at the Phantom. Of _course_ he didn't want to fill Danny in on the gory details of the nightmares. If the rest were anything like the two he'd re-lived, then he was surprised he'd been able to handle them as long as he had. Danny didn't know if he would have been able to handle them, especially with everything going on around him. He just wished Phantom would've at least _told_ him.

He stopped at the park in town, his cores spinning wildly. He was _close_ , metal tainting his taste. Dan was also close, and his cores alerted him to the fact.

"Looking for me?"

Danny's entire body froze, literally. Frost sprung over his entire form, crackling hard with a series of pops as electricity wove itself around the ice. He turned around quickly, coming face to face with Dan in all his flaming glory.

"Give him back," Danny growled, low and powerful as the crackling around him intensified.

"Oh, what, this little thing?" Dan held up a dark orb, procuring it from thin air. Deep in the center, Danny could see a silver flash. Phantom was calling out to him, trying to say something but falling short. Danny's cores twisted in agony, his form doubling over for a moment.

"Wh- what are you doing to him?" Danny gasped, straightening up quickly.

"This invention? It's got our little _friend_ trapped. Neat, isn't it?" Dan's smile was sickly sweet, voice slithering through the air too calmly.

"Let him go," Danny seethed, fists clenching around growing green energy. "It's not him you want. _I'm_ the one who beat you. He has nothing to do with this."

"That's where you're wrong, Danny," Dan smiled wide, tossing the orb carelessly between his hands. "He has more to do with all of this than you could possibly hope to comprehend. Your insignificant human mind is too small."

Danny shuddered at the monster's words before straightening his stance. "You think he's capable of evil, but you're _wrong_. He won't — _neither_ of us — will turn into you. Never again."

Dan laughed, surprising Danny by tossing the orb in his direction. The halfa caught it easily, watching as it floated between his hands. Wide eyed traveled between the light-consuming sphere and the monster before him, heart beginning to race.

"You're confused. That's ok," Dan's smile turned into a fiery grin. "You never have been good at chess, little badger."

Before Danny could even think to respond, Dan lunged forward with blinding speed, grabbing him by the arm and watching his large palm as it wrapped all the way around the teen's forearm. Danny yelled out in pain, body writhing beneath the monster's burning grip.

"Relax, Danny," Dan winked, sending more heat to his hand and smiling as Danny cried out again. "This will all be over soon enough."

Dan pulled Danny down through the ground, hand ever present on his forearm even as they phased through the dirt. They fell into a large cavern, one Danny recognized. He also recognized the faces looking up at the duo, the entirety of Team Phantom apparently having gathered for a late night meeting. Dan kept them suspended above the crowd, hand still burning Danny's flesh. The scent was sickening, and the halfa had to work to keep from choking on it. The pain was already making him nauseous.

"Danny Phantom!" someone — it was Wes, Danny realized — called from the crowd, tone oblivious to the true weight of the situation. "He's back! You're back, and you brought..."

"Run!" Danny yelled through clenched teeth, trying unsuccessfully to get away from Dan. His grip tightened at the attempt, heat searing his skin with a sickening sizzle. Danny cried out again, other hand going tight around the orb out of instinct.

The crowd below him murmured in concern, tone shifting quickly. Meg, who was at the podium, hefted an ecto-gun, aiming at Dan with blinding speed.

"Let him go," her voice was loud and steady, expression brimming with determination. "You're surrounded and outnumbered. Give up."

Dan turned both of them towards her, smiling sweetly. "Oh, aren't you a little spit fire. You remind me of an old friend of mine, you know." Dan looked down at Danny, who was still struggling against the rippling pain. "Tell me, is Valerie still playing dress up? Still the...what did she call herself...Red Huntress?"

A series of gasps cascaded across the crowd as the realization hit. Meg's aim faltered before she steadied herself again, eyes never leaving her target.

"You have until the count of—" she began.

"You wouldn't want to shoot your namesake, now would you?" Dan pulled Danny in front of himself. Again, Meg faltered, face still somehow expressionless. She must have been putting on a mask.

"Don't listen to him—" Danny started, cut off my Dan's twisting hand over his smoldering flesh. He cried out again, aura flickering dangerously.

"Looks like I need a little more than heat to keep you in place, huh?" Dan chuckled idly, smiling too wide down at the halfa. "Maybe a little Panic Attack will keep you contained."

Before Danny could make another move, Dan sent the attack up his arm. His cores twisted in terror, grinding against one another painfully. His scream was long and crackling, filling the cavern and causing the entire structure to shudder. He had to reign it in, had to because if he didn't, the entire cavern would cave in. He couldn't wail, despite the fact that he was in pain and it hurt and oh _god_ how could anything hurt that bad? Danny's vision faded in and out with his pulse, the panic spreading to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"Let go of him!" it was Dash's voice that rose above the rest, loud and booming above the growing panic in the crowd. Meg's aim wavered, concern painting her features. She was starting to crack. This wasn't good.

"Why should I? You all should be _thanking_ me!" Dan's tone was that if someone with a sinister plan. "Didn't he tell you what you're facing? Don't you know _who_ I am*?"

"Don't!" Danny seethed through his panic, and Dan chuckled, sending another wave through the teen's exhausted body.

"It's too late, Danny," Dan's voice was dripping with poison. "It's time they know that I'm _you_."

The crowd murmured lowly beneath the pair. Meg's gun fell to her side. This _really_ wasn't good.

"That's right, Team Phantom!" Dan's voice echoed across the cavern, effectively shutting everyone up. "Your precious namesake isn't who he says he is. He turned into me, in a different timeline. I — Dan Phantom — destroyed my world, and now, I'm going to destroy yours."

"Stop it!" Danny was sobbing, voice crackling with pure power. He'd squeezed the black orb into pieces at one point, though he was having a hard time thinking about that in the moment. It took almost all of his concentration not to let the energy escape him. He knew how to get away from Dan, but that would require releasing the pent up power within his chest, and he didn't know if he'd be able to shield his peers from the fallout.

" _He_ ," Dan shook Danny in front of him, resulting in another volley of yells and groans, "becomes _me_. Simple as that. Still think you can still trust him?"

"I'll never- I didn't- it's different now, it's different and—" Danny tried to rasp out, only for Dan to somehow tighten his steely grip further. He groaned in pain, darkness seeping into the edges of his vision. His concentration was running out, and he was dangerously close to letting loose.

"He's evil, just like me," Dan's tone was almost singsong as he waved Danny in front of him like some sort of cruel flag. "That's all he'll every be. Sure, he may imitate human emotions pretty well, but the human Danny you all know and love _died_ the day he stepped into that portal. He's gone, and all that's left is this _monster_."

Danny's vision faded to black, but his body straightened, a familiar presence returning to his consciousness. _'Phantom!'_

 _'I'm back, buddy,'_ Phantom breathed the words into his mind, the reassurance that followed easing him into the darkness. _'Let me take it from here.'_

Danny would have responded if he could have, but the panic twisted his mind, sending him reeling within his own body. If not for Phantom's support, he would have already gone completely limp. With one final shot of terror, Danny slipped into a dark dream, mind dissociating from the world around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Phantom’s back! There’s a lot going on, I know this chapter is a little all over the place, but everything will be explained, I promise!
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the kudos and comments, honestly it means a lot to me :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	22. Reputation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny really gives a damn about his bad reputation :(

**Reputation**

* * *

The force of Phantom snapping back into Danny's body sent a shockwave through the cavern, the structure rumbling once more. Dan tried to tighten his grip, only for Phantom to send a quick tendril of ice at his head. The elder ghost dodged, letting his grip slip from Phantom for just a second. _Just long enough_.

Phantom twisted himself from Dan's grasp, hissing furiously as he felt his skin peel away from him. That was gonna leave a scar. Pushing the pain aside, he twisted midair, finding a fighting stance across from Dan.

"Phantom, you're back," the monster licked his lips, snakelike tongue flicking between pointed teeth. "Here to save your boy?"

"You're outnumbered. You lost your only bargaining chip. _What_ could you possibly be _smiling_ about?!" Phantom yelled, throwing a beam of ice and electricity at the ghost. He dodged expertly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Can't you see? I didn't come to _kill_ him. That comes later. Why don't you take a look down at your little _team_."

Phantom stilled, eyes fluttering down to the crowd below him. A few of the floodlights had fallen from the walls, and some of the teens had been struck. A few were bleeding, the others scrambling to help. Meg was staring up at Phantom, fear permeating her entire form. She wasn't the only one, joined by the likes of Wes and Nat and Kwan, amongst others.

"Oh _shit_ ," Phantom hissed, mind swimming dangerously. The pain was catching up with him, and Danny was still under the influence of Dan's panic attack, which was quickly sapping both of their energy. He needed to help — _Danny_ needed to help — but Dan was _right there_ and everything was spinning, faster and faster and—

"My work here is done," Dan snapped his fingers, dissipating into a swirl of dense green mist.

Phantom looked back down at the crowd before his senses strobed in and out of awareness. He plummeted towards his peers, grunting as he fell against something solid. No, some _one_ solid.

"Phantom," Dash's voice sounded far away, concern coloring his inflection. "Was that...is that true?"

Phantom looked right into Dash's eyes, watching as he gasped. That's right, silver eyes, not green. "Don't believe a word that _monster_ says. I- I'll explain everything, but—"

Dash watched with concerned eyes as Phantom squeezed in on himself in pain. He coughed up a bit of silver liquid, which only pulled Dash's brows closer together. "What's going on? Danny?"

"I'm not him," Phantom was gargling on the fluid now, coughing and spitting it on himself. "I can't- he's here, but I'm also—"

Phantom cut himself off with a volley of hacking coughs, liquid now dripping to the floor. He knew he had to retreat into his cores again to heal, but first he needed to know he could trust Dash.

"I don't understand—" Dash began.

"I'm Danny's ghost," Phantom forced the words through clenched teeth, the fluid draining from between them as he spoke. "I was made the first time he died, and I'm able to take over like this because he died again."

Dash's expression was a strange mix of pity, rage, confusion, and something Phantom couldn't quite figure out. "I- what—?"

"I'm telling you because you need to know that—" Phantom choked on the fluid, spitting it down onto himself with another pained shudder. "You need to know that there's still a human in here. Danny's still alive, so that monster — Dan — is wrong. Keep him safe, because I—" another volley of coughs, "I can't. Not right now."

Dash's eyes swam, processing the influx of information. "I- of course I'll protect him. I promise."

Phantom nodded, eyes snapping closed too hard as he was sucked forcefully back into his cores.

* * *

Danny was having a dream. Correction, Danny was having a _nightmare_ , a horrible looping series of events.

First, it was the first time he'd seen Dan. His power had made Danny so _excited_ , the prospect of what he could do filling him with adrenaline. Of course, that shattered when it truly sunk in what his evil alternate self was doing.

Then, it was their first meeting. He was writhing in pain even in his dream, the fusion of Clockwork's time medallion to his core burning furiously. He felt it over and over, cascading across his entire form with ever shallow breath.

That wasn't the worst of it, though. Far worse, permeating every cell of his being, was the sensation of Vlad ripping the medallion out of him. He'd nicked his core — just one, at the time — and it had sent him spiraling. He forced the recovery, though. He needed to get to Dan.

Of course, Danny's fight with his future evil self was the absolute worst of it all. Dan's threats against his parents seared into his being over and over. The prospect of becoming anything like that monster was enough to keep Danny in a haze of fear and rage, pain stuffing itself into his being.

And then, the dream restarted. It was relentless, never letting him rescue his friends and family. He couldn't stop it, couldn't change the events, and it _hurt_. Everything hurt for too long, over and over. It wouldn't end, and Danny didn't know how much more he'd be able to take.

* * *

"Dash—"

"No."

"But you saw- you _heard_ —"

"No. I told you, I know what I know, and I know that Danny's telling the truth," Dash cut Meg off, still holding Danny close to his chest. The younger teen was so light. _Suspiciously_ light. He was still covered in that weird silver stuff. Dash hadn't set him down yet, afraid of what the others might do to the half-ghost if he did.

The board was supposed to be helping the injured, but Dash couldn't. People were hurt, and those who weren't were out for blood. Some of them were out for _Danny's_ blood. He was still trying to figure out if Meg was one of those people, talking quietly with her in one of the long corridors that branches off from the main cavern.

"But he's the reason this is all happening," Meg countered. "That ghost — Dan — he looks just like Danny. Can't you see he was telling the truth? He didn't even try to deny it!"

"He was being _tortured_ ," Dash hissed the response, eyes traveling down to the horrifyingly gory wound on Danny's forearm. "You think you'd be able to argue your own humanity while being literally tortured?"

Meg froze at that, pursing her lips. "They're angry, Dash. Danny _lied_ to us. They don't trust him anymore."

"And you?"

Again, she took a moment to answer. "I don't know. None of us ever really got to know him. _I_ don't know him...as a person."

"Well I do," Dash tightened his grip, gut twisting as Danny let out a low, painful sounding groan. "He's the...he..." Dash swallowed hard, looking back up to Meg. "He's the one who made me realize I'm gay. We talked about it. I don't know how he did it, but he forgave me for everything. I was... _horrible_ to him, and he still helped me..."

Meg's stunned silence was deafening. Dash knew she wasn't straight — she'd dated Valerie, after all. She probably just wasn't expecting the jock to come out, but he was hoping the information would build at least a little trust in Danny.

"That ghost said he can feign—"

"And you're going to believe it over Danny?" Dash's eyes snapped up to her, angry and red from holding back tears. "I trust him with my life. Paulina, Star, you saw how he talked to them. Valerie—" he didn't miss the wince that triggered in Meg. "She trusts him, obviously. She was protecting him from his parents, right?"

"Valerie and I—"

"Broke up, yeah, I know," Dash breathed out sharply. "I'm sorry, but you know her. And she trusts Danny. I trust Danny. Star, Paulina, Foley, Manson, they all trust him. Don't you think that _means_ something?"

Meg stared at Dash for a few long seconds before looking down at Danny. She let out a strangled sound at the sight of his arm, stumbling back a bit. "Oh my _god_ that looks horrible. That- that needs to be looked at _now_."

"I know, but who's going to do it?" Dash asked quickly. "The Fentons...that's a bad idea. Can you—"

"Tucker, on it," Meg grabbed her phone quickly, looking down at it before her attention snapped back up to Dash. "Get him in a room. Block it off. They're going to want to see him. They have questions, but..." she considered her words carefully, eyes scanning the end of the corridor. "His friends...his sister, they need to be here. I don't know if he's ready to talk about it on his own yet."

Dash cocked his head, confusion painting his face. "What do you mean?"

"Physical attacks seems to hurt him mentally and emotionally," Meg explained quickly, dialing Tucker's number on her phone. "Stay with him until he wakes up. Try and bandage his arm if you can. It's not bleeding because it was cauterized while being hurt, but...I don't know, just _try something_."

Dash nodded, adjusting Danny in his arms. The smaller teen groaned again, gasping and panting quietly. He whined gently with each breath now, as if shifting had awakened a new nightmare. Or maybe it was the pain. "Danny..." Dash brushed the hair away from his face, pulling away and looking down at the slightly green sweat that clung to his fingertips. "Oh...Fenton..."

Meg walked away, on the phone with Tucker now. "Yes, he's here. No, he's not hurt...too badly. Just...hurry," she explained into the phone, rounding the corner out of the corridor and into a different, smaller cavern. Dash looked down at Danny once more, nodding with certainty and heading out to find an unoccupied room. He'd make sure Danny was alright, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Danny's _where_?" Valerie gasped, face flushing pale as she stiffened in her spot next to Jazz. She had been sitting in one of the many living rooms with her, letting her company calm the older teen.

"He's with Team Phantom, and it's _bad_ ," Tucker was pacing, Sam standing quietly in the doorway behind him. They had been sitting together in a different room, processing and waiting. "We need to leave _now_."

Jazz nodded, starting to get up before Valerie pulled her back. "Wait, are you ok to drive?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jazz's voice sounded so empty. She cleared her throat, offering a feigned laugh. "I'll be fine. Danny's in trouble. Tucker, explain on the way."

Tucker gave a quick explanation as the teens loaded into the Specter Speeder, Jazz turning on the camouflage once more. The drive would be a few hours, even going as fast as possible. Valerie joined Jazz up front again, he'd hand resting on Jazz's forearm. Somehow they had established a human contact agreement, where when one of them were struggling, the other would ground them with a hand hold or arm squeeze.

"So he's injured, unconscious, and with Dash, of all people," Tucker concluded from the back of the Speeder, tone heavy as he spoke. "A lot of Team Phantom is...they're afraid. And Dan told them the truth so now...they're afraid of _Danny_. Meg and Dash are keeping him safe, but..."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Jazz took a deep breath, stepping harder in the gas. "Nobody's laying a finger on my little brother. We'll make it there in a few hours."

"They wouldn't really..." Sam's voice was spitting and angry, rage filling the vehicle. "They wouldn't really _hurt_ him, would they?" Nobody answered, which only caused Sam to let loose a volley of curses. "They named their entire fucking _organization_ after him! How could they- they can't just—"

"But they don't really _know_ him," Tucker reminded her, voice low and comforting. "Not like we do. They idolized him, and that can shift way too easy."

Sam stayed quiet at that, leaving the four teens in stunned, scared silence. "I'm hurrying," Jazz finally rasped, voice shaking. "I'm going as fast as I can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Sorry for the late update - I usually try to post earlier in the day than this. Speaking of update schedules, I'm going to have to cut back to posting twice a week - Mondays and Thursdays. The next time I'll be posting is on Monday. I'm sorry cutting back, but I'm starting a new job here and really want to make sure I'm proud of my work before posting it :)
> 
> That being said, thank you to everyone who's stuck with me through all this craziness! I'm so excited for what I have planned :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	23. Re-Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dash has a few questions...

**Re-Introductions**

* * *

Danny felt an onslaught of emotions as he woke up, the two strongest being relief and fear. Relief because the nightmare was finally over, and fear because a new nightmare was just beginning. Memories of what happened came crashing against his already pounding skull, earning a sharp gasp and subsequent coughing.

"Woah, hey, it's ok," Dash's voice filtered into Danny's perception, his attention snapping up to him. "Just take a deep breath, ok?"

Danny shook his head, hands squeezing the blankets under him. With a sickening groan, he shut his eyes, hands freezing the blankets and cracking them apart with his electricity. "Hurts."

"What hurts?" Dash sounded worried, something Danny hadn't heard from him very much.

Danny didn't know how to answer. "All. Every. Uh..." Danny fell back into the pillow, eyes closing as his cores twisted in pain. He swallowed thickly, tears falling from half lidded eyes. He was looking at Dash. "Why are you helping me?"

Dash sat back in surprise. He had a chair pulled up close to Danny's bed, and by the looks of it, he hadn't moved in a while. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I was..." he swallowed sandpaper, "a real prick to you. Didn't you hear Dan? Aren't you..." Danny let a few more tears fall, voice growing even quieter. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Nah," Dash leaned forward, waving his hand in front of him. "That guy seems like a real liar. I think I'll believe you instead."

Danny nodded, closing his eyes and wincing as pain radiated from his arm. He hadn't had the guts to look at it yet. "Thanks."

"You ok?" Dash's voice was so quiet, Danny almost missed it. He opened his eyes halfway, shooting the elder teen a tired glance. "Ok, stupid question. Do painkillers, uh, work on you?"

Danny nearly laughed at that, but he bit his tongue, opting to offer him a small smirk instead. "Did you really just ask me that?"

"What? I don't know!" Dash exclaimed, laughing a bit. Danny shook his head, smiling a little. "So...that's a yes then?"

"Yeah, ibuprofen works best," Danny explained, taking his time with each word. Dash grabbed a bottle from the trunk next to him, procuring two little red pills and a mini water bottle.

"Here, they're extra strength. Should help a little," Dash offered, smiling as Danny dry-swallowed the pills and pushed aside the water.

"Thanks."

"You don't have to keep thanking me. It's _fine_ ," Dash reassured, smiling again. There was something under his smile, though — something that was gnawing at him.

"What's up?" Danny asked slowly, letting a bit of intensity fall into his tone. Dash shifted, smile dipping.

"Oh, uh, you're good at reading people. I forgot about that..." he laughed nervously.

"Dash."

"Yeah, right," Dash's smile fell, replaced with a confused, contemplative look. "I just...I think before- uh I mean _after_ , I guess. Yeah, after _you_ passed out, I talked to...to Phantom, I think you call him. I don't know."

"Oh," Danny wasn't able to say anything else. He didn't know _what_ to say.

"He told me he'd explain. Maybe it's selfish, I don't know," another forced chuckle, "but I...want to know, I guess." Dash took a deep breath, nodding finally. "I want to know what's going on."

 _Oh_. Danny didn't know what to say. It made sense, of _course_ it made sense. Considering there was most likely nobody else left at Team Phantom — were they even called that anymore? — who trusted him, it made sense to tell Dash more about himself. It made perfect sense, so why was it so hard to wrap his head around?

"Of course," Danny replied in spite of his hesitation, deciding he owed Dash the truth at least. He was watching over him, after all. "Wh- what do you want to know?"

Dash's eyes lit up a little at that. "Who even _is_ Phantom? I mean, he told me he was—" Dash cut himself off, sad realization washing over him. "He told me he was your ghost. That he was made because...you...?"

Danny chuckled nervously, rubbing his neck lightly. His fingertips caught on his scar, sending a shiver down his body. "Yeah, I died."

Silence hung between them for a few moments. "How many times?"

"Huh?" Danny shuddered, the response leaving his lips without a thought.

"He mentioned you—"

"Oh. Oh, yeah," Danny sucked his words in, eyes dropping to his lap. He studied his hands, trying not to see the indigo veins the nightmare monster wore. "I died...twice."

Dash gasped, leaning forward in his chair. "Why?"

"What do you mean?" Danny had to work to keep his breath from catching in his throat. He blinked away tears quickly.

" _Why_ did you die _twice_ , Fenton?" Dash shuddered, closing his eyes and letting out a puff of air. "You're so young. You're only 14—"

"I'm fifteen now, if that helps?" Danny chuckled lightly, earning a tired look from Dash. "Sorry."

"Just give me a fucking answer," Dash sighed, keeping his eyes on Danny now. It had been a while since he'd actually taken a good look at the upperclassman, and he looked more mature now. Maybe he _was_ more mature.

"The first time was an accident," Danny choked out, hand rubbing idle circles in his chest. "My parents' portal didn't work. I was showing Sam and Tucker and it..." cold shot through his veins, eyes dropping to his lap again. "It turned on. I was inside. The rest is history, I guess..."

"I remember your accident," Dash's voice was drenched in fear and regret. Danny couldn't get himself to look up. "I- I was so... _horrible_ to you. And you'd just _died_."

Danny shook his head, closing his eyes. He was crying again, he realized, wiping the tears away quickly. "Yeah, well it didn't feel like it right away because I also...kind of lived. It was the ectoplasmic energy, it...kept me half alive or something. I don't know..."

"When was the second time? Was it...recent?" Dash's voice got quieter somehow, just barely above a whisper. When Danny didn't answer, he cleared his throat, drawing the halfa's attention up to him.

"It was during the asteroid panic. I made a mistake, and I lost my powers, so I got them back," Danny's voice snapped hard against the walls. "I just didn't know I'd have to- that I'd have to- to _die_ to get them back."

"Fenton—"

"And it _hurt_ , Dash," Danny was crying now, hot tears dripping straight down. He could taste salt and ectoplasm on the corners of his lips. "You'll never know how bad it _hurt_."

Dash watched as Danny sobbed, hands coming up to cover his face. After a few moments, he collected himself, bringing his arms back down before finally glancing at his throbbing, injured arm. Dash must have wrapped it, the white bandage leaking red and green in the middle. Twisting the injured arm, he hissed in pain.

"I'm so sorry," Dash whispered, eyes full of pity as he looked at Danny.

"Don't be," Danny let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head a little. "Not your fault."

"Yeah, well it's not yours either," Dash reassured, flashing him a small smile.

"If you say so," Danny shook his head, swallowing hard. He gazed down at his arm, gently touching it with his uninjured hand. He gasped painfully, pulling away with a sharp grunt.

"Aah, yeah, don't do that," Dash winced in sympathy, pulling back in his chair a bit. "Your friends are on the way, but...it's pretty bad."

Danny huffed slowly, eyes clenching shut. "When Phantom took over...did anyone get hurt?"

" _That's_ what you're worried about right now?"

"Well...yeah," Danny looked up at the jock, blinking confusedly.

"You don't need to think about that right now. Just...relax for a second, ok?" Dash gave him a small nod.

Danny relented, sinking further back into the pillows propped behind his neck. "Fine," he grumbled, mind still on his peers. They had all looked at him like he was a monster. Maybe he was.

"Why do you do that?" Dash asked, tone bubbling with an undercurrent of concern.

"Do what?" Danny's eyes were half-lidded, breaths shallow and small.

"Care so much about everyone? I mean, they want you—" Dash cut himself off, cursing himself under his breath.

"They want me _what_ , Dash?" Danny laughed a little before stumbling into a cough. He brought his uninjured hand to his mouth, wiping away a bit of residual silver fluid. "I saw how they looked at me. They all know that _I'm_ the monster they should be fighting."

"That's not true."

"It isn't?" Danny shot back, closing his eyes and letting a few rattling breaths wash over him. "Dan wasn't lying. I grew up into him in an alternate timeline. It doesn't _matter_ why, I...I let myself become that thing once before. Maybe...maybe I'm too dangerous..."

"You saved everyone," Dash cut in, drawing Danny's tired attention up to him. "You _keep_ saving everyone. You're only dangerous to the people — and ghosts — who deserve it. I believe in you. We _all_ believe in you."

"Not anymore," Danny shook his head, more tears falling down his face. "They'll never trust me again."

Dash pursed his lips, looking away from Danny's face for a few moments before snapping his attention back. "Meg and I are making sure nobody else can get to you. I can talk to Kwan, he'll be fine. Star and Paulina were supposed to be coming back tomorrow...uh, I mean today, by now? Yeah, they're supposed to be coming back today anyways, so they'll be here. And of course, your sister and your friends will be here soon. It'll be fine."

Danny's composure cracked, entire form shaking. He looked at Dash with terrified eyes, a hint of green swirling in the icy blue. "You promise?"

"I- I promise," Dash looked surprised, offering a shocked smile as Danny swallowed hard again. With one final grunt, the younger teen sank deeper into the pillow, letting himself fall into an uncertain, dreamless sleep.

* * *

By the time Danny drifted back into consciousness, his friends must have already arrived. He could tell because Sam had her fingers twisted in his hair, stroking gently in a way only she knew he liked.

"...scared? Why would they believe Dan?" Sam's voice was quiet as she spoke to someone else. Danny kept his eyes shut, afraid the light might hurt too much at that moment; his head was still pounding furiously.

"Well, they _did_ see Phantom come through before we left," Valerie reminded. She must have been across the room by the sound of her voice.

"That, and..." Dash's voice was low and protective as he spoke. "Well, when Phantom took over, he didn't exactly hold back. There are a few injuries, and people aren't happy."

"But that isn't—" Sam started out loud, only to be shushed by at least three other people. "That...isn't Danny's fault. Dan was hurting him, of course he fought back."

"Well, not everyone sees it that way," Meg's voice startled Danny, almost causing him to tense up. He kept himself still instead, deciding they wouldn't tell him this information if he was awake. He needed to know what was going on.

"Why? Don't they trust him?" Tucker's voice was full of concern, a hint of anger coloring it at the end. Just how many people had they managed to cram into Danny's room, anyways?

"They hardly even _know_ him," Meg explained. "Hell, _I_ hardly even know him. If it wasn't for— well, if I didn't trust you...all of you...I don't know where I'd stand, either."

"Meg—!" Valerie's voice was shrill, raising in volume.

"Shh!" again, a few people shushed her at once, earning a small apology from Valerie.

"He saved all of us, more times than you could even _begin_ to understand," Valerie spat acid at her ex, voice hard and sharp.

"That doesn't erase his past," Meg explained pointedly. "Even if he has an excuse for everything he's done wrong...people still pay attention. We all may be young, but we aren't dumb, you know."

Danny's world began to spin around him, a small groan escaping his lips against his will. Sam pulled her fingers from his hair, hands cupping his face gingerly.

"Hey, Danny? Phantom? Are you awake?" she prodded gently as Danny's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," his voice was hoarse, swallowing more left over silver. It tasted like his own blood.

"How're you feeling?" her voice was quiet and soothing. She traced circles in his cheeks with her thumbs, rubbing lightly.

Danny looked down at his arm, relief washing over him when he saw fresh, non-bloodied bandages. "Better. You guys looked at my arm?"

Sam's face fell, eyes traveling down to his bandaged arm. "It...um, we did. It's really bad. You're lucky there wasn't any nerve damage, but the muscles...you might never be able to use your arm the same again."

"Oh."

"I'm so sorry," Sam eyed his face before looking down at his arm. "I'm sorry for everything I said. I'm sorry I didn't follow you, I—"

"Hey," Danny grabbed her arm with his uninjured hand. "It's ok. I'm sorry I went alone, I just...I just thought..."

"Shh, it's fine," Sam hugged him, pulling his head to her shoulder. "You're good. Your arm is wrapped and healing, everyone is ok, and we're going to be leaving soon."

"Leaving?" Danny pulled out of her embrace, sitting back a bit. "Why? Where are we going?"

"We—"

"We can't just leave them here unprotected. Dan sought them out because he knows I can't just sit by and watch them get hurt," Danny explained quickly, words tumbling over themselves.

"They're not unprotected, remember?" Sam reminded Danny, rubbing the tears from his face. He must have started crying at some point. "They're trained. And the ones who aren't are in training. They'll be ok."

"But Dan—"

"Is after _you_ ," Sam's tone hardened at the mention of Dan. "We have to make sure you stay safe. That's more important than sticking around."

Danny swallowed his words hard, nodding and looking away from Sam. "Where are we going?"

"Back to Vlad's old mansion. He doesn't seem to know we came from there, so it should be an ok place to camp out again," Sam explained gently. Danny closed his eyes hard, her words from earlier scraping against his throbbing core. He'd almost forgotten about how she'd talked about Phantom, but the memory flooded his core with acid as soon as she mentioned the mansion.

"Ok," he didn't mean to spit them as aggressively as he did. Clearing his throat, Danny looked around the room, noting that their smaller Team Phantom was joined by both Meg and Dash. He turned his attention to them, taking a shaking breath. "What's going to happen here?"

Meg opened her mouth to start, only for Dash to cut in. "I'm coming with you. I talked to Kwan and he's game too. Oh, also Star and Paulina, they got here like an hour ago and won't let you leave without them."

Meg's attention snapped to the blonde, eyes turning to slits as she assessed him. "You're kidding, right?"

"Huh? No, why would I be?" Dash asked, genuine confusion coloring his voice.

"You can't just leave!" Meg's voice was shrill against the concrete walls, winces from the other teens causing her to take a deep breath and quiet herself before continuing. "We need as many people as we can get. With everything that just happened...what will the others think of you just leave?"

Dash looked back at Danny, studying the younger teen carefully as he responded to Meg. "I'm needed elsewhere. That monster is still after Danny, and he needs all the help he can get right now."

Danny started right back at the jock, a stunned smile lingering on his lips. "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do," Dash nodded finally, turning back to Meg. "I'm going to go get Paulina and Star. Oh, and Kwan. Then, we're leaving."

Meg looked back and forth between Dash and Danny for a few moments before her gaze caught on Valerie. Danny watched as she choked a bit, closing her eyes and taking in a slow breath. " _Fine_. Just- just leave. We'll be fine."

With that, she turned on her heal and left quickly, earning a small squeak from Valerie. "W- wait!" she ran after the other girl, leaving everyone else in a stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Thank you for your patience as I cut back - I haven’t been writing as much lately, and it’s honestly been really nice to have some time to catch up :)
> 
> That being said, what do you all think? Everything is changing right now, but the next few chapters I give these kids just a little time to catch up...kinda. Well, you’ll see
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, leaving kudos, and reviewing! It honestly always makes my day!
> 
> Until next time,  
> ~Ash


	24. Fall from Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has a chat with his new team

**Fall from Grace**

* * *

"Danny!" the halfa would know that shrill voice anywhere. Turning his back on the almost-packed Speeder, he smiled at the sight of Paulina and Star walking towards him, hand in hand.

"Hey!" Danny dropped the duffel bag he'd brought out for Dash on the ground, letting Phantom spur him into a sprint. Paulina let go of her girlfriend's hand, throwing her arms around Danny and wrapping him in a tight hug. He reciprocated with a quick squeeze, pulling away and turning to Star hastily.

"Hi Danny," she said gently, a small smile pulled to her lips. Her hair had grown a little longer in weeks since he'd seen her, her bangs growing into the rest of her hair. She was wearing an oversized sweater and a pair of baggy jeans. Danny couldn't help but smile at how much healthier she looked; he hadn't realized it before, but she'd looked _so_ tired. Now, her eyes were bright and bagless, smile growing as Danny pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Danny pulled back, taking a few steps away from the girlfriends. Paulina threw an arm around Star's shoulder, causing the blonde to blush furiously.

"Th- thanks," Star's voice was small as she leaned gently against Paulina. "For everything."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, fingers trailing his scar idly. He'd been doing that more lately. "Of course. I just want you to be ok."

"I am. I'm...I'm doing a lot better," Star blushed again, bowing her head towards Paulina and looking at the ground.

"Hey baby, it's ok. You need a break?" Paulina asked, completely forgetting about Danny for a few moments.

"N- no, I'm ok. Just..." Star met Danny's eyes for a moment before looking back at Paulina. "I'll tell you later. But I'm fine."

"Ok, well," Paulina turned her attention back to Danny, keeping her arm around Star's shoulder, "let's get going, yeah?"

Danny smiled at the two of them. He hadn't realized how worried he was about the couple, even if he wasn't fully conscious of it. He was happy that they were alright. "Yeah, ok. Dash is just helping Kwan finish packing up, and we'll be ready to go here soon."

"Ok, cool," Paulina picked her own bag up from the ground, throwing it in the back of the Speeder along with Dash's other bag. Star followed suit, Danny tossing Dash's final bag amongst their suitcases.

They made themselves comfortable in the back of the vehicle, giving Dash and Kwan some space to finish up packing. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Valerie were talking with Meg and Wes, who had taken it upon themselves to try and reorganize their peers, despite Meg's momentary breakdown. As much as Danny wanted to be a part of the conversation, he knew it wasn't a good idea, especially after hearing how Meg felt about him. He doubted Wes' opinion of him was much better.

"So...how have you been, I guess?" Paulina asked Danny when they finished getting settled for the ride, Star's sleepy head resting on her shoulder.

Danny looked at her, preparing himself to give an obligatory ' _fine_ ' before reconsidering. Obviously, he wasn't fine. They'd both, at the very least, _heard_ about what happened.

With a small gulp, Danny shrugged, causing Paulina's form to tense. "Oh. Right...kinda a stupid question right now. Sorry."

"It's fine, no worries," Danny assured, offering a small smile. His cores still throbbed from the attack, a numb stab of pain shooting through his body with a shudder.

"You know, they're a bunch of idiots if they think that asshole was really telling the truth," Star grumbled, blinking the tiredness from her eyes and sitting up from Paulina's shoulder. She offered Danny a small, reassuring smile.

"Well...the thing is...he _was_ ," Danny hissed, his core reacting immediately. Phantom let him lean against him for support.

"...What do you mean?" Paulina's voice was low and uncertain.

"I really...did become him," he shuddered violently, licking too-dry lips. "I stopped it from happening as soon as I knew what was going on but...I still became him, even if it _was_ in an alternate timeline."

Danny looked down at his hands, heart hammering hard against his chest. A hand squeezed his arm gently, jerking himself from spiraling; it was Star, her hand giving one more squeeze before pulling away.

"But he wasn't telling the truth about faking your emotions, was he?" Star's voice was quiet and reassuring. She smiled at him with a strange sense of understanding in her eyes.

"...No, he wasn't," Danny breathed the words out gently, watching as Paulina relaxed into herself a little. Star stayed in the same position, watching as he shuddered a deep breath in and out. "That was a lie."

"I don't care if you _almost_ became him," Star laid her hand on Danny's arm once more, letting it stay there when he didn't move to shake it off. "You didn't. And you obviously aren't going to now. So you're fine."

Danny let a small smile fall to his lips, nodding softly at his friend. "Thanks."

The three let a comfortable silence wash over them, Star going back to leaning against her girlfriend idly. By the time Dash and Kwan made their way to the Speeder, Danny's hammering heart had calmed down, Phantom retreating and letting him take the lead once more. He'd been quieter since he'd gotten back, and Danny planned to investigate further when he had a chance to be alone.

"Hi, Danny! Dude, I'm so glad you're alright," Kwan's voice startled Danny out of his thoughts. He was _so_ loud.

"Hey Kwan," Danny waved from his seat in the Speeder as Kwan entered. He plopped down in the row in front of Paulina, Star, and Danny, shortly followed by Dash. "You guys are finished packing and everything, then?"

Kwan flushed bright red, smiling awkwardly and shaking his head a bit. "Oh, yeah. Yep, we finished packing. That's all."

Danny cocked an eyebrow at the jock, turning to his friend only to find that he was blushing just as furiously. "Ok, weirdos. Well, we're just waiting on everyone else to finish talking with Meg and Wes, then we'll get on our way."

"Wait a second...Wes? Why is he involved in anything?" Kwan cut in, confusion coloring his voice.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't he be?" Danny asked slowly.

"Well, he's really anti...well, anti- _you_ , I guess," Kwan explained, tone softening as hurt flashed across Danny's features. "Ever since that Dan guy told them everything...well, he's been using that. He says he knew all along you were an evil ghost."

"But—" Danny tried you cut in.

"I know," Dash cut in this time, "it's ridiculous, but that's what he's been saying. Too many people agree with him. It's stupid."

"' _It's stupid_.' Eloquently put, Dash," Star mocked, earning a small chuckle from her girlfriend. "I'm sure it's not that bad, Danny."

"Well—" again, he was cut off.

"Look, you haven't even _been_ here since before Phantom first showed up. People have really started doubting Danny. I don't agree with it, but we can't just pretend it's not happening," Dash explained, voice growing heavier with each word.

Danny opened his mouth to finally speak, words dying in his throat as he processed what Dash had just said. People were doubtful of him, of course they were, but hearing it didn't exactly feel good. Phantom tried to comfort Danny, but he found himself pushing away.

"How...how ' _anti-me_ ' is Wes?" Danny asked, gaze falling to the ground as he spoke. The Speeder fell quiet, causing Danny to close his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry," Dash spoke just above a whisper, watching as Danny shook lightly.

"Not your problem. Don't apologize," he let out a dry laugh, looking up with wet eyes. "I caused this, whether I meant to or not. I've got to deal with it."

"But—" Paulina tried to cut in.

"No, this is my problem. I've got to be the one to fix it," Danny smiled reassuringly at Paulina, watching as she looked down hesitantly. He turned his attention back to Dash, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes. "So, how much is Wes pushing against me? What am I dealing with?"

Dash and Kwan looked at one another for a brief moment before nodding in unison. According to them, Wes had decided that Danny was not to be trusted, especially not when Phantom could take over at any time. He wholeheartedly believed what Dan had said, and fought anyone who questioned it. Meg, on the other hand, was trying to convince people that Danny (and Phantom) were not evil, drawing on all the good things he'd done for not only Amity Park, but for all of humanity. Unfortunately, the group (no longer called Team Phantom) was split pretty evenly, not yet able to come to a consensus.

"But they're, like, not gonna believe that creep, right?" Paulina asked softly, hand clenched firmly in her girlfriends'.

"I don't know, things were getting pretty intense when we were on our way out," Kwan explained, attention drawn back to Danny. "A lot of people believed him. _Too_ many."

All attention fell to Danny now, causing the young halfa to shrink in on himself. "Wow. Ok. Have they gone to the media?"

"Wes wants to. Some others want to, too, but Meg told everyone they can't until they work this out," Dash jumped in quickly.

"So it's contained," Danny looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them slowly. Phantom swam in the back of his mind, curiously waiting to see what he had to say. "Good. The last thing we- I need is for this to become a media frenzy. I need to train and get ready for Dan's real attack. I don't know what he's planning, but this is just a distraction."

Danny nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on both shoulders, coming from two different people. One one side, Paulina had rested her outstretched hand on him. On the other, surprisingly, Kwan had patted him on the shoulder, letting go much quicker than Paulina.

"We're going to help you. This is all of our fight," Kwan gave Danny a dignified nod, smiling gently.

"Why? This isn't your fight?" Danny asked slowly, breath hissing out of him like a leaking balloon.

"It _is_ , though," Star cut in now, drawing Danny's attention back to her and Paulina, who had just retracted her hand. "You have always been there for us, stepping in and making sure we're ok."

"Now it's our turn," Dash offered, causing Danny to turn in front of him once more. "Let is take care of you. Or at least help. Please."

Danny looked around him, laughing under his breath. He was surrounded by the popular crowd — the same people who used to torment him just for being small or dorky. For too long, he'd resigned himself to the fact that they would never change. He thought they would always be a-listers hell bent on tearing people down, but looking at their supportive faces, he found that belief washing away. They'd changed, and maybe Danny had been a part of that.

"Ok. Yes, we'll all train. Th- thank you," Danny rubbed the back of his neck, fingers dancing over his scar again. Closing his eyes, he let a few tears fall, letting out a breath he'd been holding for far too long. "Thank you."

* * *

"It's in motion?" the dark, heavy voice cascaded over the entire cavern, bouncing off the dark rubble.

"Of course. It was really too easy," Dan replied to the darkness, smirking as he felt it writhe in indignation.

"Do _not_ call it easy. You know—"

"Yes, yes," Dan started, twirling his fingers in front of him as he spoke, "this has been in the works for months, and how *dare I make any part of this seem easy. But really, you know who you're working with. They're teenagers. It was easy."

"Good," the voice was now a deep growl, scraping across Dan's cores like a rusted blade. He tried to keep himself from flinching, but he blinked before he could suppress the instinct. "What is it, little ghost? Feeling intimidated?"

Dan puffed out his chest, fiery hair glowing brighter for a moment in defiance. "I told you, this arrangement only works if we're equals. Don't patronize me."

"I'd never," the voice cackled, sending an involuntary shiver down Dan's spine. "Now, stop sulking. We have preparations to discuss."

"Of course," Dan smiled wide, taking a step deeper into the darkness around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> First and foremost, I'm so so sorry about the late upload. I know I said I'd try going twice a week, but things have been a little crazy lately. Without going too far into it, I have my new job, of course, but I'm also from Minnesota, in a larger city where there have been protests and riots. I'm safe and well, but trying to balance work, getting involved where I can, and self care has been difficult.
> 
> But! I've missed writing a lot, and have decided it's an important part of taking care of myself. I can't promise a consistent upload schedule right now, but I will be posting whenever I finish a new chapter.
> 
> That being said, I'm still very excited about what's to come! I've shortened and streamlines the story from where I was going to go, but I think it'll still turn out well.
> 
> Thank thank thank you all for your continued support. It honestly means the world to me!
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> ~Ash


	25. Unplanned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet ANOTHER new Team Phantom
> 
> Strap in things are about to get awkward

**Unplanned**

* * *

The drive to Vlad's mansion went by far quicker than Danny had expected. Knowing his friends, he expected the a-listers' addition to be disastrous at best. Danny was, however, pleasantly surprised. After recent events, it seemed like the only thing that mattered at the moment was who they sided with. Seeing as everyone was there to help Danny, the group ended up gelling pretty quickly.

"Wait a second, he did _what_?" Paulina sputtered, concealing a laugh with a bite of the lip.

"Yeah, he _froze_ _his hands together_ ," Sam finished her story about the time Danny accidentally overused his ice powers and it got the best of him.

"We don't have to talk about it," Danny grumbled next to his girlfriend.

"Oh, we _absolutely_ do," Sam teased, smiling at him with playful glint in her eyes.

"That's too good," Paulina snorted, hands flying up to cover her mouth as soon as she realized what she'd done. After a split second of silence, all the teams burst out laughing, including Jazz and Valerie, who were in the front of the Speeder.

"Lina, I didn't know you snort when you laugh!" Kwan joked, wiping his eyes quickly as he finally stopped laughing.

"Shut up! It's not even that big a deal," Paulina huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well _I_ think it's adorable," Star cooed, throwing her arms around her girlfriend and planting a kiss on her cheek. Paulina sank into her touch, a slight blush creeping to her cheeks.

"We're here!" Jazz called from the front seat, drawing everyone else's attention.

Vlad's mansion was still untouched — most likely because the GIW was otherwise occupied — so it was easy to get in. Tucker reset the alarms once Jazz parked the Speeder underground, and everyone met in the main dining hall with their luggage.

"So...you guys just...lived here for a while?" Kwan asked Danny as they entered the hall. The jock looked around with wide eyes, taking in the rich, intricate design.

"Yeah, I guess," Danny chuckled nervously. "I mean, it was more training than anything else, and only for a few weeks."

"That's..." Kwan looked around, mouth agape in awe.

"...Weird?"

"No, I was gonna say _so fucking cool_ dude!" Kwan exploded, voice startling Danny into an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Just set your stuff down anywhere, we can figure out rooms again after," Jazz's voice echoed across the massive hall, grabbing everyone's attention. "We should really sit down and talk about...and _plan_ , I guess."

Danny followed his sister's lead, sitting down and watching as his friends followed. Dash and Kwan sat next to one another, across from Paulina and Star. Jazz was seated next to Valerie, who's side she hadn't left since they'd arrived. That left Danny, Sam, and Tucker to take the head of the massive rounded table, the two mortal teens flanking the halfa.

"So...what do we do now?" Paulina was the first to speak as soon as the teens were all settled. All attention turned to Danny, causing him to tense up in surprise. His sister sent him a reassuring nod, which helped ease some of the tension in his chest.

"Um...we train. I'm going to go into the Ghost Zone and do some investigating, which should—" Danny started his response.

"Wait, you're going into the Ghost Zone?" Sam cut him off, brows drawn together in concern. "By yourself?"

"Uh, yeah. Dan's been up to something and I have to figure out what," Danny answered in a low tone.

"We need to discuss this kind of stuff," Sam's voice grew strained, a bit of anger leaking through. "You can't just make decisions like that."

"I didn't make the decision alone," Danny's cores clenched at that, reminding him of Sam's words towards Phantom. "Phantom and I decided this is what needs to happen."

Sam opened her mouth to respond, only for the words to die in her throat. She looked down at her hands in her lap, clenching tight until the knuckles went white. "Yeah. Fine."

"Woah, what's up with you two? A little lover's quarrel?" Paulina asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

"We're not—!" Sam started before taking a deep breath. "We're not fighting. It's fine. Let's just...ok, so we're training, then. I guess."

Danny looked over at his girlfriend, who's gaze was now fixed to her hands. He wanted to say something to make it better, but the words refused to come to him. After a few more moments of silence, Kwan cleared his throat, bringing Danny back to the moment.

"So, we train? That's all?" Kwan asked Danny, uncertainty flashing in his eyes.

"That's all we do for now," Danny explained, throwing Sam one more worried look before turning back to Kwan. "Dan is planning something, even if we don't know what. We have to be ready at any moment to leave, or to go help. It's only a matter of time before the media catches wind of what happened last night, and we can't let them spin it for the worst."

"How do we do that?" Star asked, leaning forward on her elbows. "I mean, if they want to paint you as a monster, what can _we_ do to stop it?"

An idea broke over Danny's head, washing over him along with a small grin. "That's what I need you and Paulina to focus on. You guys know more about social media than the rest of us combined. Think you can do something with that?"

Both Star and Paulina's eyes lit up, their heads bobbing in affirmation. "Oh, we're on it," Paulina said as she grabbed her phone from her pocket, Star following suit.

"We also need to keep in touch with Amity Park to make sure they're not falling apart, Danny hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. "Kwan, Dash, you guys have been on the board the entire time. Can you keep in contact with Meg and Wes? Or...uh I guess whoever ends up in charge?"

"Dude, whatever you need, Dash and I've got it," Kwan flashed Danny a toothy grin and gave him two thumbs up. Dash, on the other hand, looked at Kwan for a few moments before turning away quickly, cheeks and ears tinted red.

"What about the rest of us?" Valerie asked quietly, and Danny realized with a start that that was the most he'd heard her speak all day.

"We'll...we'll keep training. And planning. The more I know about Dan's plan, the more we can figure out what to do," Danny explained, watching Valerie nod wordlessly.

"Let's get to bed," Jazz yawned. "I'm exhausted."

"Uh, it's only, like, five," Paulina chuckled, stopping when Jazz sent her a serious glance.

"We've been up pretty much all night," Jazz sighed, rubbing her eyes before looking back to the younger teen. "Make yourselves at home, just don't take any of our rooms."

With that, Jazz left, followed by Valerie and Tucker, who headed towards their respective rooms.

"We should talk," Sam grabbed Danny's arm before he had the chance to walk away. "I'm sorry about what I said."

"Yeah. I know," Danny tried to shake Sam's hand off, only for her to hold on tighter.

"Hey, I'm serious. I really—"

"Look!" Danny pulled his arm through Sam's hand with his intangibility, taking a step away. "I don't want to talk about this right now, ok? I- there's already so much that- with Dan and—"

"Danny," Sam tried unsuccessfully to calm him down.

"No," Danny could feel himself beginning to unravel, but he didn't care at the moment. "This is all too much. I can't- do you even know what Dan did tonight? He- he took Phantom and before I could get him back he—"

"Shh, Danny it's alright—" Sam started to cut in.

"No, it's not!" Danny yelled, the lightbulbs above them shattering inside the massive domed lighting unit, keeping the glass from falling on them. Electricity sparked over his skin, ice lingering on his fingertips. "I lost Phantom and then he- Dan attacked my- my cores _again_. It's too much, and it hurt so bad."

Silence fell between them, Danny's ragged breaths slowing as the ice and electricity was pulled back into his body.

"I'm sorry I got so mad," Danny sighed, breath falling with his heavy chest. "Please say something."

"I don't know what," Sam looked up at the light fixture before turning scared eyes back to Danny. "I'm sorry."

"Sam—"

"I think you should sleep in your own room tonight," Sam covered her mouth as she turned towards the hallway and ran.

"Wait—!"

"Hey, let her go," Paulina grabbed Danny's arm before he could run after his girlfriend. He willed the electricity dancing over his skin to stay away from her, letting out a sigh of relief when it obeyed.

"I got so mad. I shouldn't have done that," Danny shook her arm away, rubbing the back of his neck. He let out a sharp groan when his scar throbbed under his fingers, cores twisting painfully in his chest.

"Are you ok?" she asked, taking a small step back. "Danny...you don't look so well."

"Yeah, well I'd like to see how well you'd look after- after..." Danny trailed off, looking down at his bandaged arm warily. "I should get some rest."

Paulina took a second before nodding slowly. "Yeah, ok. Well, if you need anything, Star and I will probably be hanging out in the living room. Or one of them? Damn, this place is big," Paulina chuckled at that, the small laugh dying off when she realized Danny wasn't laughing along. "Um, ok. Well, goodnight, Danny."

"Yeah, goodnight," Danny grumbled, turning around and storming off to an empty room.

* * *

"So, what's going on with the dorks?" Kwan sat down on the couch in one of the many living rooms next to Dash. Star and Paulina were cuddled up on the sofa across from them, both scrolling on their phones.

"Hey, be nice," Paulina snapped back, not even looking up from her phone. "There's a lot going on right now."

"Well, yeah," Kwan laughed, throwing his arms over the top of the couch. He didn't miss the blush that came from Dash when his fingertips brushed his shoulder, his own ears tinting themselves red in response. "But what about Fenton and Manson? Are they fighting or something?"

"Yeah, something like that..." Paulina trailed off, finally looking up from her phone. "I don't know. Danny's pretty upset."

"About what? I thought they were doing fine," Star mumbled, snuggling closer to her girlfriend.

"I don't know..." Paulina shrugged, looking down at her phone. "And honestly, it's none of our business."

"Wow, that's a first," Dash chuckled, shaking his head a bit.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paulina asked, glancing up with ice cold eyes.

"Well, coming from _you_ , it's just surprising to hear," Dash shot back, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning farther back into the couch.

"Why you—" Paulina put down her phone and shifted in her spot, only to cut herself off. The other teens looked around, Star opening her mouth to speak when Paulina held up her hand. "Shh, do you hear that?"

In the hallway outside the living room, light footsteps echoed dully. The a-listers fell silent, listening to whoever was out there.

"...can't believe she said that," Valerie's voice bounced into the living room.

"I know. I'm sorry," Jazz responded, the footsteps stopping just short of the living room. They must have stopped walking.

"It's just- I just- Jazz...what do I do?" Valerie sobbed, sniffles echoing louder than her words.

"Oh, hey, come here," Jazz cooed, words gentle and soothing. "This will work out, I promise. Hey, trust me, ok? You're doing great, even though everything is falling apart. You're ok."

The teens listened as the sniffling ceased slowly, Jazz's hushed mumbling drew quieter and quieter until it was just a hum, low and soothing.

"Hey, are you—" Jazz's voice was cut off, a small squeak of surprise following shortly. Paulina and Star perked up, hardly restraining themselves from peaking around the corner.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry I can't believe I just—" Valerie began to ramble breathlessly.

"Hey, uh, it's fine," Jazz chuckled tensely, the sound of shifting feet filling the otherwise silent space.

"I should—"

"Yeah, me too."

And with that, footsteps echoed in opposite directions, leaving Dash, Kwan, Star, and Paulina alone again in shocked silence.

"Woah, hold on a second, what just happened?" Kwan asked, looking between Star and Paulina, who were both looking at one another with excited expressions.

"They totally—!" Star started.

"Hey! Let's go to bed, yeah?" Paulina cut in, looking between the boys and her girlfriend.

"But—"

"But we can talk about it in private, where it belongs, right?" Paulina sent another pointed look to Star, realization washing her face.

"Oh! Yeah, for sure," Star got up, helping Paulina up as well and turning back to the boys. "See you guys tomorrow, bye!"

Paulina grabbed Star's hand, leading her out of the living room and giggling quietly.

"Well that was..." Dash trailed off, shifting a bit in his seat.

"Weird?" Kwan offered a small chuckle, spurring one in Dash as well.

"Yeah, weird for sure."

"Hey, listen buddy," Kwan turned fully to Dash now, eyes falling to the ground. "About earlier today—"

"No worries," Dash rushed out, turning away from his friend. "I mean, uh, forget about it. It was an accident, so, let's just pretend nothing happened."

"...That's really how you feel? It was an accident?" Kwan asked slowly, eyes coming up from the ground to meet Dash's face.

"Yeah. Totally," Dash closed his eyes, attention still turned away. "Seriously. Let's forget about it."

"Yeah," Kwan gulped, turning away and blinking misting eyes. "Ok."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> First of all, thank you so much for your continued patience - this story is really important to me and still one I'd like to continue, but the stress of a regular posting schedule was honestly a bit much for me at this point, so posting whenever a chapter is done is going to be how it goes for a while.
> 
> I'm so so excited for everyone to meet the secondary villain. I've already gotten a few good guesses, but I won't tell who it is quite yet ;)
> 
> Thank you to my amazing reviewers, as well as to anyone who favorites, follows, and reads! Ya'll are so amazing!
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> ~Ash


	26. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> None of these teens ever sleep, whoops

**Midnight**

* * *

Danny's dreams had been plagued with horrible nightmares. Images of his own humanity being stripped away slammed against his skull, heavy and hot like coals being fired from a canon. They kept coming relentlessly for the entirety of the first few days they spent back at Vlad's mansion.

' _Hey, you're ok_ ,' Phantom spoke into Danny's mind on their fourth night back. ' _Just another nightmare_.'

Danny gasped air into his lungs so hard it hurt, sweat dripping from the ends of his hair. "Hurts," he managed to wheeze, earning a reassuring hum from Phantom.

_'I know. Just breathe.'_

Danny did as he was told, letting Dan's image fade from his vision. The room was dark, which meant it must have been the middle of the night still. A quick glance at the alarm clock next to his bed affirmed his suspicion; it read 3:17 am.

 _'Are you going to go for another walk?_ ' Phantom asked gently. He must have felt Danny slipping back into his panic.

"I..." Danny almost told Phantom that he would go on a walk, only to stop for a moment and think a bit further about the idea.

The last few days, Danny had been going for walks around the mansion when he couldn't sleep, and every single night, without fail, he managed to stumble into a bizarre situation.

The first night, for example, he'd found Jazz sitting along and staring out a window into the dead garden in the back of the mansion. She had this far away look in her eyes, as if she was remembering when the flowers were still alive. They'd both seen what the garden was supposed to look like, after all, and in comparison, now it looked pretty pathetic.

"Hey, what's up?" Danny asked gently, sitting down next to his sister. She jumped a bit, sending him a sad smile as soon as she realized it was him.

"Oh, uh, hey. Can't sleep?" Jazz asked, quickly wiping a few tears from her eyes.

"No...you?"

"Nope," Jazz popped the 'p', leaning forward and resting her head in her hands. "Ugh, I'm an idiot."

"Ok, so that's not true," Danny jumped in, scooting a little closer to his sister. "Hey, what happened?" he draped his arm around her shoulder, letting her cry into her hands for a few moments.

"I...I can't...I don't know..." Jazz murmured, shaking her head a few times before taking a deep breath and finally looking up at her brother. "Why can't I just be gay?"

Danny froze, not sure how to respond as an instinctual nervous laugh bubbled out of him. "Uhm, what?"

"Or bi, or pan, or something, you know?" Jazz continued, looking away from Danny now and down to her hands as she used them to speak. "Just not stupid and straight and...and...why do I have to _hurt_ people?"

Danny's expression softened as realization washed over him. "Is this about...?"

"Valerie, yeah," Jazz's shoulders dropped as she let her hands fall into her lap, eyes still locked on them. "She kinda...came on to me earlier today."

"Oh."

"And I didn't know what to do so I just ended up here and—" Jazz stopped herself, taking a deep breath as her entire form shook. "What am I supposed to do?"

Danny didn't know how to respond, his arm still slung over his sister's shoulder as she continued to shake silently. "I...don't know..."

"You know," Jazz laughed humorlessly, looking back at Danny with eyes full of tears, "this isn't the first time this has happened. When I was a freshman, my best friend Carly came out to me and asked me out." Jazz's expression shifted from a distant wistful look to one of regret. "We tried it. That's how I know I'm straight."

Danny nodded, letting out another laugh before he could think to stop himself. When Jazz gave him a jilted look, he shook his head quickly. "Sorry, it's just...Dash just came out to me the other day. I guess there's just something about us Fentons, huh?"

Jazz laughed a little, wiping unshed tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess so."

The two siblings sat in a comfortable silence for a few more moments, Jazz collecting herself carefully. They ended up talking about Danny's plans to go into the Ghost Zone the next day for a little while longer before they both went back to their rooms, attempting to sleep once again.

The next night, Danny had nightmares about killing his family with his bare hands. He ended up in one of the many living rooms, staring out the window by himself while Phantom tried to rationalize with him.

'We both know you would never do anything you saw,' Phantom repeated, words hushed and soft against the teen's pounding skull.

"Mmm-hmm," Danny sighed half heartedly, leaning his head against the window and staring out into the black sky.

'Please, Danny, you need to snap out of it. Just listen to me and—'

"Fenton?" a soft voice came from the archway into the room. Danny turned too fast to find none other than Kwan standing there, eyes red and puffy.

"Oh, uh," Danny winced when his voice cracked, "hey Kwan. What's up?"

Wordlessly, the jock sat down one the couch across from Danny, head dropping into his hands. "Can't sleep," he muttered lowly.

"Yeah," Danny pressed his cheek to the cool window once more, closing his eyes and letting a few tears fall, "I know the feeling."

The two sat there for a few moments before Kwan gasped, jolting Danny out of his daze. "Dude, are you ok? You don't look so good..."

Danny turned his attention to Kwan, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. "I'm fine," he snapped, harsher than he meant to. Upon seeing Kwan flinch back, he let his defenses drop, closing his eyes and shuddering a deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's, uh, fine. But, are you? Ok, I mean?" Kwan stuttered, drawing Danny's attention back to him.

"Just peachy," Danny scoffed, hastily wiping the tears from his face. "You?"

Kwan studied Danny for a moment, skepticism washing over his features before he looked away quickly. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Danny prodded, leaning forward and pressing his elbows into his knees. "What's going on, Kwan?"

"I'm not the one you should be worrying—"

"Don't tell me what to worry about," Danny growled, leaning back and looking away from Kwan. He tried to keep himself in line, he really did, but something inside him broke in that moment. "I know what to worry about, but I can't do a damn thing about it. Nobody in the Ghost Zone will tell me anything, and my friends...my *family...I'm the reason they're dead."

"Danny, they're not—"

"I'm the reason they're *going to die!" Danny shoved himself up, pacing in front of the window without looking at Kwan. "I'm going to kill them, I'm going to. I've seen it - I can't *stop seeing it, actually, and I can't- I can't- I—"

"Danny, calm down—"

"I can't breathe," Danny stopped pacing, hands flying to his chest and throat. Scared eyes turned to Kwan while painful breaths dragged against his throat. "I can't—"

"Ok, look at me, stay with me," Kwan jumped up, taking a tentative step towards Danny, who was hyperventilating at this point. "Sit down, put your hands behind your head to open up your chest."

Danny did as he was told wordlessly, brain unable to defy the upperclassman at the moment. "Ok."

"Try and breathe. Hold each breath for the count of four. Let it out slowly," Kwan instructed, watching as Danny complied. "Good."

"Ok," Danny squeezed his eyes shut, wincing when the image of everyone he loved dead engulfed his vision. "No," he muttered, breath hitching as his eyes flew open. "Make it stop."

"I can't, but I can help calm you down," Kwan reassured, smiling softly at Danny as the younger teen's eyes continued to plead with him.

"They're dead and I killed him," Danny brought his hands down in front his his face, the image of fresh blood staining his vision. "I...I'm a *monster."

Kwan's expression shifted to one of pity, eyebrows drawing together. "You're not a monster. You're a *hero."

Danny's eyes flickered up to Kwan once more before gluing themselves you his hands. He tried to say something, anything, but his mind came up blank.

"You're a better guy than I am, anyways," Kwan sighed, sitting down across from Danny once more, eyes never leaving him. Meanwhile, Danny refused to look up, eyes still stuck on his hands while blood splashed his vision. "Dash and I kissed."

That caught Danny's attention, eyes flinging themselves in Kwan's direction as his hands fell to his lap. "What?" he rasped.

"Well, I kissed him and..." Kwan let out a deep breath when Danny's attention stayed on him this time. "I don't know. I think I messed up."

Danny blinked a few times before chuckling lowly, eyes still trained on Kwan. "Wow. I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything," Kwan smiled, relief washing over him as he watched Danny start to breathe normally again. "It's just been weird."

Danny nodded, swallowing hard. "So you guys are dating then?"

Kwan tilted his head to the side, a confused smile playing across his lips. "Huh?"

"I just mean...I guess considering Dash is gay and everything—"

"What? He's gay?" Kwan asked, smile melting from his face.

"Oh. Oh, he didn't...oh," Danny said slowly, eyes traveling back down to his hands. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no, it's ok. Look back up here," Kwan stumbled over his words, trying to draw Danny's attention back up to him.

"It's all my fault," Danny muttered, squeezing his hands into fists.

"What? No, Danny—"

"I should go to bed," Danny shoved himself up, rushing to the door without even so much as looking at Kwan.

"Wait—"

But Danny was already out the door, rushing back to his room before he could break down again. Somehow, he didn't run out of breakdowns, no matter how many consumed his nights.

On their third night back, Danny ran into Star — literally. She almost fell backwards, but Danny managed to catch her before she did, eliciting a small squeak from the blonde.

"Oh, thanks Danny!" Star smiled, letting Danny help steady her before letting go.

"Yeah, for sure," he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. It had been just after two in the morning when he left his room, and he hadn't been expecting to see anyone else up. "So, uh, you're up late."

"Oh!" Star smiled awkwardly, face flushing red. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. Sometimes that happens, so..."

Danny nodded, shuffling his hands awkwardly in front of him. "Oh, yeah. Same, I guess..."

"Hey, listen," Star straightened up, movements stiff as she laughed awkwardly. "Um, I've been meaning to talk to you...about your parents..."

This time, it was Danny who stiffened, back completely straight as his full attention settled on Star. "Yes?"

"Um, well..." Star let out a deep breath, closing her eyes and attempting to collect herself. "They might be planning something."

Danny's stomach dropped, the news hitting him hard. "Oh."

"Paulina and I kept trying to listen in on them, but they kinda knew what we were trying to do so we didn't end up hearing much and—" Star stopped herself from rambling with a deep breath before flicking her eyes up to Danny quickly. "I'm sorry."

"It's..." Danny took a deep breath to keep the panic at bay, "it's fine. What did they say?"

Star took a deep, shuddering breath before responding, her eyes glued to the ground as she did so. "They think they found a serum that can separate your ghost and human half. Do you remember them doing tests, or something?"

Danny's blood ran colder than usual, turning into ice in his veins for half a second before he shook it free. "Yes."

"They, uh, used them I guess to come up with a prototype. We weren't able to hear what they were planning on doing with it," Star explained solemnly.

Danny knew what they wanted to do with it. They'd made that pretty clear already. Phantom clenched on his cores in anxiety, causing Danny to awaken from his thoughts.

"Thank you for telling me," Danny's voice sounded hollow even to himself.

"Are you—?" Star started to ask.

"No, I'm not ok," Danny breathed out the words with a puff of frost. "It's...it's fine I'll be..."

Phantom tugged at Danny; a reminder that it was *not fine, and if his parents followed through with their plan, it wouldn't *be fine. Star stood and watched Danny as his breathing quickened, heart rate skyrocketing and hands beginning to sweat.

"Danny?" her voice was quiet next to the roar of blood in Danny's ears.

"They're going to take him again," Danny's words tumbled off his lips before he had the chance to stop them. Tear filled eyes turned themselves to Star, threatening you spill.

"No no, they won't, we won't let them," Star rushed forward to hug Danny, only to take a hasty step backwards when sparks flew across Danny's skin.

"I'm sorry," Danny hissed the words, trying unsuccessfully to pull the electricity back into himself.

"No, it's ok! Just...what can I do for you right now?" Star asked, the sincerity hitting Danny like a brick wall.

"What?"

"Whenever I have a panic attack," the words 'panic attack' sent a shiver down Danny's spine, "Paulina helps me calm down, but everyone needs different things. What helps you?"

Her tone was so slow and careful, it was already helping to lower the halfa's pulse. He tried to gulp in a few strangled breaths, but his throat felt too tight.

"Ok, breathe with me," Star concluded, watching Danny's frightened eyes at her words.

"C- can't—" Danny started, still struggling to breathe.

"I know, just...hold your breath for a few seconds, ok?" Star urged, causing Danny to do as he was told. Star smiled and nodded, everything about her somehow still calm. "Ok, now let it out."

Danny's breath fell out of him, a cloud of icy air erupting from his lips.

"Good, now slowly, in," Star instructed, the smile spreading to her eyes when Danny complied. "Hold...and out."

Danny let another breath out, this one not nearly as cold as before.

"Ok, good. Do you feel any better?" Star asked gently, a half-smile lingering on her lips as she spoke.

"I..." Danny assessed himself. He was still shaking, but he was back to breathing normally. Sure, his fingertips and nose tingled a little, but that was just the hyperventilating. "I'm ok. Thank you."

Star beamed at him, offering a small nod. "Of course. It's the least I can do after everything."

"You don't owe me anyth—" Danny began quickly.

"No! No, I know I don't, I just..." Star sighed, crossing her arms and thinking for a moment. "It's the least I can do to *say thank you*."

Danny gulped, blinking misting eyes quickly. "Oh, of course. Y- you're welcome."

"Hey, listen," Star took a little step forward, "if you ever need anything, or just want to chill or whatever, I'm always here, ok? I mean, Paulina will probably be with me, but still."

Danny smiled at her, watching as she smiled excitedly back. He'd never really known Star before he helped her get help for her eating disorder, but she hadn't ever been particularly mean to him. Sure, she'd gone along with the rest of the a-listers in turning him into the school pariah, but it didn't feel personal. Now, watching her be so excited about the prospect of being his friend, Danny couldn't help but feel a little excited as well.

"Yeah. I'd like that. Maybe one of these days after training or something we could all just..." Danny thought for the right words. He was under so much stress that saying he wanted to 'hang out' felt too...*normal. "I don't know, just relax or something."

The two ended up chatting for a little while longer before they both decided to try sleeping again. Sure, it was another breakdown, but he felt like he'd gotten closer to Star in the process.

That brought him to that night, laying in his bed and contemplating getting up and walking around the mansion again. While the idea of running into someone again was mildly interesting, mostly he just wanted to be by himself in his terror. After all, vulnerability wasn't exactly something he enjoyed.

Before Danny could make up his mind, his door flew open. Sam stood in the doorway, heaving breaths wracking her entire body as she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Danny, thank god you're already awake," she smiled at him for the first time in days, a quick flash before her worry took over once more. "We have to leave. *Now."

"What?" Danny jumped out of bed, looking around him quickly and relaxing just slightly when he realized he didn't have much to pack. "Why?"

Sam took a deep breath, eyes flashing with pity for a moment. "The media is here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! What do you think?
> 
> Thank you all so much for being so supportive of my new posting schedule - I know it's a lot more scarce, but I'm feeling so much better about my content and my stress levels with everything.
> 
> Theres not a lot left in this story - I was going to take longer to get to the ending, but the more I think about it, the more that would overcomplicate things. That being said, there's still a ways to go first, so no worries about this ending within the next few updates.
> 
> As always, thank you so so much to everyone who interacts with this story - it honestly means the world to me.
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> ~Ash


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